Vitalie Becker on helpful feedback, important mentors and a good friend

Vitalie, the team has been in Stubaital over the past few days to prepare for the new season. How sore are your legs after a week of training here?
I can definitely feel it, but that’s just normal towards the end of a training camp. I think we’ve worked well and have taken a step in the right direction as a group. The two games we had yesterday to finish off were important to give almost everyone 90 minutes of football.

Miron Muslic is extremely vocal and demonstrates the same passion he wants to see from his players while on the touchline. How have you found training under him?
It’s been really good. We get a lot of input, also for the mental side of things. It’s helping me to improve my game. I’m still young and definitely have room for improvement, so I’m thankful for any feedback I get from the coaches. I like it when a coach shows his emotions with his team and is sometimes loud and clear with his instructions. There will be praise if someone does something good, and if something isn’t as good then there will be feedback too. I think that’s a good mix.

The team has played with a back-three and wing backs so far in the friendlies. You have operated down the left side. What are the key things you need for this role?
It’s a challenging role because you’re always on the move. I’m familiar with that from recent years, though it’s a little bit different in Miron Muslic’s system. I think I’ve done well so far though, but still have room for improvement. I want to keep learning and improving in every training session and game.

You trained with the first team last season after graduating from the U19s, though you’re yet to make your competitive debut for the first team. Have you ever thought about what playing in front of a sold-out VELTINS-Arena will feel like?
Of course, it’d be a lie if I said otherwise. I’ve been at Schalke since I was 8 years old and have trained and played with a view of the VELTINS-Arena every week since then. Playing in front of more than 60,000 fans at our home ground is obviously a dream I want to achieve at some point. The atmosphere in our stadium is incredible. I loved being a ball boy there when I was a kid. Even back then I told myself I want to be out there on that pitch one day.

You’ve been at Schalke since 2013. Did you have a favourite player back then?
I’ve always liked Sead Kolasinac. He also came from the Knappenschmiede and played down the left. I wouldn’t describe him as a role model or idol though. I want to write my own story.

From the current squad, only Max Grüger has been at Schalke longer than you have. He graduated from the Knappenschmiede a season before you did, though you both played for the U9s together. Are you two close friends?
Definitely. There haven’t been many days over the past 12 years where Max and I haven’t seen one another. We get on really well and both know how the other one ticks. We have shared a room during the training camp, just like we did when we were younger and were away for a night. We don’t live far apart from one another either, so we saw each other a lot during the summer break. We also did our individual preparation for pre-season together.

You were both part of the team that won the U17 German title in 2022. Tim Hoogland, now part of the first-team coaching setup, was involved back then. Is he an important guy to have around for you?
I’ve got a really special connection with Tim. Even back then, he talked to me a lot and gave me loads of valuable advice. He always encouraged me too, which is incredibly important for a young footballer. He was a professional footballer himself, so he knows exactly what he’s talking about. That’s why I think it’s fantastic that he’s now part of this coaching setup. We’ve got a good group of coaches, who all work hard to improve every player.

Another key mentor for you was Norbert Elgert in the U19s. What did you take away from your time with him?
I went through a tough time while with the U19s because my father passed away two years ago. He was there for almost every game during my youth, just like my mother – both of them, along with my siblings, were always fully behind me. I’m originally from Bottrop, so Schalke is our club. That’s why I’m sure my dad is watching from above now. But back to Norbert Elgert: I really developed as a footballer during my time in the U19s. Those were probably the two most important years of my career so far from a sporting point of view. But I also want to highlight the human side of it. The coach was there for me, especially in the weeks after my dad’s passing, and always had an open ear. I’ll never forget that.

You played in 16 games in the fourth division last season. What is the biggest difference between the Regionalliga and youth football?
The men’s game is definitely more physical than in the U19s. Physicality plays a much bigger role. On top of that, a lot of opponents are experienced and street-smart – things you only really learn with time as a young player. A 30-year-old playing in the Regionalliga, who’s maybe already played in the second or third tier, knows exactly what it takes to win – sometimes using tactics that aren’t entirely clean. But I adapted quickly. That’s also down to the fact that we had a really good coaching team. Jakob Fimpel lives and breathes football. Especially during the tougher moments of last season in the Regionalliga, he kept encouraging us and always believed in the team. Willi Landgraf, Tomasz Waldoch and Martin Max were also really important for my development.

Your left foot often proved important over the years in the club’s academy, setting up and scoring a number of goals. Your crosses from set pieces in Austria have also been extremely accurate.
I’ve definitely been given a bit of talent by the man upstairs, but without hard work, that doesn’t get you far. I work hard every day to keep improving – especially with my left foot. And when that hard work pays off, it gives you even more motivation. One moment that really stands out for me is a free-kick goal against Oberhausen at the Parkstadion. I’ll never forget that one – everything about it was just perfect.