Norwich City’s Anis Sliman has heaped praised on Oscar Schwartau and the ‘insanely brave’ decision to join the Canaries this summer.
Slimane has been talking to Tipsbladet about his teammate and his delight at reuniting with the midfielder at Carrow Road.
Schwartau joined Norwich in a €2.5m deal from Brondby IF in August, his first move to Europe after rising through the ranks at the Danish club into the first team in recent years.
He was very much considered one for the future by them, making his debut in the Superligaen at just 16 years old.
He played alongside Slimane in that game although the two have seen their paths diverge in the years since, with Slimane heading to Sheffield United in a €2.7m deal last summer.
That proved to be a difficult move for him as he managed just 19 appearances and 545 minutes in total last year as the Blades were relegated from the Premier League. He’s now at Norwich, joining them on loan for the season at the end of August.
That means he’s been able to reunite with Schwartau, who he is hoping to help as much as possible and believes deserves praise for making his own transfer this summer.
“I’m really happy to see him again. When he signed, I was in negotiations, so it was great that it worked out,” he said.
“I am proud of Oscar and his way here. The first time Oscar played at Brøndby Stadium as a 16-year-old, he was next to me in midfield. Then he was someone I had to take care of, so I’m happy to see him in this jersey.
“I can help him, and I am of course happy to do so. I’ve been through some tough battles and maybe I can help him avoid that by making the right choices. But Oscar also has his head screwed on properly, so he will probably manage,
“It is an insanely brave decision by him. He has huge potential, and if he can redeem it, it could be really big. Of course, he has to get used to a new league and a new way of playing, but he is brave. He is only 18 years old, but it is a very mature decision.”
