For weeks he did not get a real chance, was not allowed to distinguish himself at all or not for a longer period of time, but since shortly before the end of the year, when coach Oliver Glasner had to change due to some corona-related failures, Yannick Gerhardt has been able to show what he can do. And the ex-Cologne delivers. He did the same in the 3-0 win against Freiburg – including his first goal for VfL Wolfsburg in this Bundesliga season. And that after an exciting week for Gerhardt in which he extended his contract until 2025. “I am very happy with the way it went. I can plan the next few years and continue to concentrate fully on the club,” said the 26-year-old at Sky.
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The midfielder, who is strong in both races and two-way battles, only extended his contract in Wolfsburg on Friday, and in the win against the Breisgau-Klub he was Wolfsburg’s busiest VfL player with 11.4 kilometers. One that manager Jörg Schmadtke likes to affectionately refer to as a runner. The Wolfsburg can continue to build on this running strength, but that was not a matter of course, because with Cologne, Hertha, Stuttgart and Eindhoven other clubs were also involved in the ex-Cologne. “In football you never know what will happen. There were other options, but the last few weeks have shown me that I have a chance here to get my playing minutes,” said Gerhardt. “I’m someone who just always wants to compete with the best. This team is just fun, we have really good quality and are currently in a really good place in the table.”
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VfL Wolfsburg versus Freiburg – The pictures
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Jay Brooks (center) after the goal to make it 1-0.
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The money was not the decisive reason for an extension, especially since Gerhardt no longer earns as much as he did after moving from FC to VfL in the summer of 2016. The decisive factor was that he noticed that the coach “gave him opportunities to play again. That didn’t look like it in part, but I’m someone who doesn’t give up. I tried to offer myself and that’s why I might have been rewarded now. “
It was a double reward – on the one hand with a new contract, on the other hand with the first goal of this Bundesliga season. Gerhardt grinning: “I’m happy that I finally scored a goal.” After a pass from Ridle Baku, the 26-year-old only had to hold out his right foot. “I think it wasn’t the toughest goal,” he admitted. “I was glad that the ball slipped through there and I just had to push it in.” Previously, Gerhardt had “only” scored in the cup against Fürstenwalde and Sandhausen.
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With VfL, Gerhardt is now in third place, plus the contract extension and the first goal of the season – how is that actually celebrated in times of the pandemic? “I think at the moment there is simply a time when you can’t do that so well, so I’ll just celebrate with my girlfriend,” said Gerhardt in a good mood. Family and friends are contacted via video telephony. The Wolfsburg: “I’ve already had a good time there.”
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