Braafheid: My gut feel was instantly right

Edson Braafheid is a newcomer to Bayern. The 26-year-old switched to Munich from Twente Enschede this summer, but the defender is a relative unknown in Germany. fcbayern.de set out to rectify that and sat down with the player for an exclusive interview. The Dutchman explained the background to his transfer, his favoured positions on the field of play, and his first impressions of life at Bayern.

Interview: Edson Braafheid

fcbayern.de: Edson, welcome to Bayern. You’re not especially well-known in Germany yet, so tell us a little about yourself.
Braafheid: “I was born in Surinam, in South America. I came to the Netherlands at the age of six and grew up in Amsterdam. I started playing football at a club when I was eight, and I joined FC Utrecht, my first professional club, when I was 16. I moved to FC Twente six years later, and now, another three years on, I’m at a really big club.“

fcbayern.de: What position would you like to play at Bayern?
Braafheid: “I’m a left-back, but I can also play centre-half. I like both positions. You have to concentrate the whole time at centre-half, taking your opponent out of the game, but you’re also the first man in your team’s build-up play. The left-back also has to shut out his man, and can also get forward as the occasion demands.“

fcbayern.de: Where will Louis van Gaal play you?
Braafheid: “He knows I can play either position. Let’s see what he decides, and where I can be of most help to the team.“

fcbayern.de: How long did you have to think it over before agreeing on a move to Munich?
Braafheid: “When I heard Bayern Munich were interested in me, I could hardly believe it. A huge club like that! Then I spoke to Louis van Gaal and some of the people from Bayern. That made me confident the club really wanted me. And my gut feel was right, from the moment we started talking. That’s why I decided to come here. I think every player would like to appear for Germany’s biggest club at some point.“