Dylan Leonard: I’m giving everything to make sure I’m ready for that moment

Leonard had no idea on Saturday that it would turn into a special day for him. He had already made his Schalke debut back in November in the friendly away at FC Twente – but this time he was set to play his first minutes at the Parkstadion, right next to the VELTINS-Arena. It all happened at incredibly short notice, with the match moved from Osnabrück to Gelsenkirchen just a few hours before kick-off because of the weather.

That meant an impromptu home debut for the young Australian. He came on after the break in a holding midfield role. Leonard can operate both as a number six and as a centre-back. “I don’t worry about what position I’m playing. I just want to help the team be successful,” explained the youngster.

Leonard has had some challenging and eventful months since his move to Schalke in September. The youngster only became eligible to play at the start of this month. When his former club Western United FC had their licence withdrawn because of insolvency, Leonard suddenly found himself without a team late in the summer. “There were a few options, but as soon as I heard Schalke were interested, that was my focus,” the 18-year-old revealed. “Even back in Australia, people know how big a club this is.”  Former Schalke player Alexander Baumjohann, now sporting director at FC, also played a part in his decision. “I spoke to him beforehand and he told me a lot about Schalke. That was another reason why I chose to come here.”

Leonard moved from Australia to Gelsenkirchen believing he would be able to play straight away – only to find himself in the frustrating position of being limited to friendlies for the rest of the year. “For me, it was a real test of patience and how much I wanted to take on this challenge,” the defender explained. “It was a tough time, but I got a lot of support to stay focused and really learn the system.”

That support came in part from Ayman Gulasi – Schalke’s attacking prospect also has Australian roots. “I was lucky, because the odds of that here in Germany aren’t exactly high,” Leonard said with a smile. “He knows the club and how everything works. Even away from training, he was able to show me around Gelsenkirchen and help me settle in.”

Now the young defender is finally eligible to feature in competitive matches for the Royal Blues. After 45 minutes each against FC Twente and Osnabrück, Leonard has set his sights even higher. “My dream is to play here in front of more than 60,000 fans at the VELTINS-Arena. I’m giving everything to make sure I’m ready for that moment.” So far, crowds of around 20,000 have been the biggest he has played in front of. His family have already visited him in Germany and soon they want to see him play at Schalke’s sold-out home stadium.