Alex Král: I’ve never experienced anything like that

Alex Král on…

…his first impressions:
I’m really happy to be a Schalke player. We had loads of fans with us in Mittersill at training. They travelled a long way to spend their holiday with us while we had training camp – I’ve never experienced anything like that. It was crazy and really nice for us.

…his style of play:
I’m a midfielder and I’m most comfortable as a defensive one. I like to work hard, cover lots of ground and support my defence. Linking up the play between our defence and attack is also a job I have. I’m a box-to-box player.

…his first contact with Schalke:
It was during the international break at the start of June. I used my holiday afterwards to switch off and spend time with my family. I didn’t think much about football. I started to train individually following that break. Meanwhile, we were waiting for FIFA’s decision on the special transfer regulation. I then heard from Schalke again just after that.

…getting to know the team:
Spending time with my new teammates is important for me. That’s the only way I’ll settle in – both on and off the pitch. I want to learn the language as quickly as I can too. I will speak English in the meantime and try and use German now and again. I actually learnt German at school, though I’ve lost most of it now. I hope I can get back up to speed soon.

…avoiding relegation:
We’re back in the Bundesliga. That’s great for our fans and for the club as a whole. We are desperate to stay in the top flight, though it’ll be a tough challenge. I may have only been here for a couple of days, but I have already seen that we’ve got a number of talented players and a number with lots of experience. We will pick up positive results and avoid relegation if we work hard as a group. I want to help right away and be an important player for the team.