What looked like a normal transfer on the face of it, was a big step for Eren Derdiyok. Bayer 04 is only the second professional posting for the young Swiss striker and now he will playing for a club based outside Basel for the first time in his career. So he has said farewell to his hometown and his friends. But there is no sign of homesickness: "The team surprised me. I fitted in incredibly well and quickly. I'm really looking forward to playing here in the coming years." After spending his youth at the Basel club BSC Old Boys, the striker moved to first division side FC Basel in 2006 and joined the first team squad. Two years later, Eren won the Swiss league title with FC Basel, scoring seven goals in 27 games.

The 6 ft 3 in striker considers the Bundesliga to be one of the best leagues in the world. As a result, he is feeling very excited at the prospect of playing his first season for the Werkself. And he has set himself an ambitious target of 13 to 15 goals in the coming campaign. Bayer 04 fans will be happy about that, as he is a replacement for the injured Patrick Helmes. "First of all, I feel sorry for Patrick and I hope he gets fit again as soon as possible. I would have preferred to get my chance when he was in the side and we could have played together," explains the Swiss striker of Kurdish origin.

Eren Derdiyok admits with a smile that he often tries to be cheeky on the pitch. In other situations the Switzerland international appears calm and reserved. He does not like to talk about his own strengths but prefers to leave that to others. For example, the Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld: "Eren is a perfect footballer. He's quick, strong in the air, has a very good technique and is dangerous in front of goal. I can only congratulate Bayer on sealing this deal." Let's look forward to seeing our new number 19 in action.