Hummels: “I never believed I would play in the Bundesliga”

The Germany international

Mats Hummels

said that playing in

was a far-fetched dream of his as a youngster. The 32-year-old has also revealed that he flourished as a player since he did not expect to succeed at

.

Hummels tried hard as a youngster to thrive at the Bavarian giants before he joined

in 2008, where he proved to be a prolific young player.

He then returned to Bayern Munich in 2016 establishing himself further as a key player in the Germany national team and won the World Cup with them in 2014. He has recently talked about his belief that the top-flight opportunity was not something he foresaw.  

Hummels rejoined Dortmund in 2019 and opened up about his youth experience in an interview with

Goal

and

DAZN

before the clash against

.

He said: "

Not at all. I played my first real season as a regular player for Bayern in the U19s with Kurt Niedermayer.

"In the U17s, I wasn't even in the squad at the beginning of the season, and in the U16s I was more of a part-timer.

"I always tried to learn what works and what doesn't work, because I myself never believed I would play in the Bundesliga at some point, I never had that pressure."

The centre-back also talked about his fellow team-mates in both clubs and the national team.

"

You have to step on people's toes if you want to be successful,"

he added. "

You don't get that kind of performance culture when you have 20 bros in a team.

"I haven't seen a team with a good-spirited culture that, when the going gets tough, could stand up to it every time.

"When the mood between everyone is too good, when it gets really tough, you lack the last per cent to be tough against yourself and against the opponents.

"In my eyes, you have to establish this culture every day in training. If a personal relationship or two falls by the wayside in the process: so be it.

"In our successful teams in 2011 and 2012 here at Dortmund, in the second half of 2018/2019, when we still won the double with Bayern under Niko Kovac and at the World Cup in 2014, those were not 23 friends, no way.

"I was almost fighting every day in 2014. Partly also with people with whom I now get on super well, because we all know that we did everything to make us successful."

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