Junior Adamu: As a kid, you dream about moments like that

Junior, welcome back. How did you enjoy your time away with Austria? It was your first call-up in almost two years.
I had a great time and I’m always delighted to be called up. One of the things I really enjoy is seeing some of the lads I’ve known since our youth-team days. Nicolas Seiwald, David Affengruber and Alexander Prass are good examples – I know them from Salzburg and we also played together for FC Liefering. I get on really well with Kevin Danso, Paul Wanner and Patrick Wimmer too.

Patrick Wimmer also played a key role in your first goal for Austria. Talk us through that moment in the 3-1 win over Kosovo.
It was a brilliant feeling, especially because it was such a good team goal. Our goalkeeper Christian Zawieschitzky starts it, Xaver Schlager dribbles past three players and then spots Patrick Wimmer making a run into space. He could have passed to me there as well, but playing Patrick in was the right call (laughs). The two of us were then through on goal and he squared it for me. Patrick and I could go straight into the Griddy afterwards. I’d been waiting for that.

You’ll have to explain that one. Had you been thinking for a while about how you wanted to celebrate your first goal for Austria?
For me, a celebration is part of those special moments. I did the Griddy after my first Champions League goal against FC Bayern München as well – it’s a dance people also know from games like EA FC and Fortnite. That actually went a little bit viral at the time. I’d promised a few people that I’d do it in an Austria shirt too, so when the opportunity finally came, I had to take it.

The celebration itself shows just how much scoring for your country meant to you, doesn’t it?
Absolutely. To finally score my first goal in my tenth appearance for Austria means a huge amount to me. I had goosebumps straight afterwards. As a kid, you dream about moments like that. Then when you get older, you talk to your friends about the national team and what it would be like to score for your country. To have actually done it now is hard to describe. I couldn’t stop smiling after the game and it’s a moment I’ll never forget. The shirt already has a special place too – it’s hanging in my gaming room, where I keep all the shirts that mean something to me.

Who got in touch to congratulate you afterwards?
As well as my friends and family, who were there in Vienna, I heard from a lot of people at the club. Miron Muslic called me, told me how pleased he was for me and said I now had to keep pushing. Dejan Ljubičić, Vitalie Becker, Soufiane El-Faouzi and Mertcan Ayhan were among the players who messaged me. When I got back, our captain Kenan Karaman was one of the first to congratulate me in person. It’s great to see how happy the lads are for me.

That certainly fits with the impression that you’re really enjoying life at Schalke.
Definitely. I try to share that happiness with the lads and enjoy every moment. Before training, it’s all about staying focused. By the end we’re all completely exhausted, but I still try to keep the mood up and put a smile on the lads’ faces.

Focus is a good word to use. Now that you’re back from international duty, attention turns to your former club SC Freiburg, where you made 67 appearances. What sort of challenge are you expecting from the side currently third in the table?
Freiburg are very strong at home. They’re a very disciplined side with a great team spirit. Just like us, everyone works for one another and towards the same goals. But I think our intensity can cause them problems. We’ll prepare as well as we possibly can and go there looking to get points. And if I can give my teammates one or two useful tips along the way, I will. I know Freiburg pretty well, after all. (smiles)

What does going back to Freiburg mean to you personally?
Just like with the national team, it’s always nice to see familiar faces again, including Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster. I also spoke to Philipp Lienhart while I was away with Austria, and he said he thinks it’ll be a good game too. But as soon as the whistle goes, that all changes. From then on, I’ll give everything for FC Schalke 04. We’ll be opponents. Like I said, I’m going there to bring back points.