Transfer to Southampton “really easy and positive” – Player reveals his ‘biggest focus’

Jannik Vestergaard has been speaking to Danish newspaper BT about moving to Southampton and how he’s settled in at the club so far.

The 26 year old defender made the switch to English football in the summer, after spending the previous two seasons with Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach.

A new club, country and league are hard to get used to, although footballers aren’t often treated with patience after such a transfer. Thankfully for Vestergaard, he’s hit the ground running and is already a big part of Mark Hughes’ defence at Southampton.

First up at the Saints was his initiation song, and the Denmark international explained: “Yes, it was just an initiation that had to be overcome. It’s a regular tradition in England… First you do a little bit of it, but then you can laugh at some of the other new ones who will be the same. Backstreet Boys with ‘I Want It That Way’ was of course my go-to song.”

Getting off to such a good start musically, Vestergaard than found a fellow Dane to help him along.

Pierre Emile-Højbjerg has been through ups and downs at Southampton, and was able to help his compatriot settle: “It has been really easy and positive to come to Southampton. The club has welcomed me and all of us new ones have been well integrated. It has been completely painless. But of course there is one who has helped more than others.

“It’s no secret that I’ve spent some time with Pierre who helped me here at the start, told me who’s who in the club, where we could live, and where to go to eat and such things. 

“He has been a very good help here at the start, and he is doing fantastic at the moment so it has been a pleasure to have as good a teammate as him.”

After explaining he’s the kind of guy who doesn’t have problems settling into a new place anyway, Vestergaard then shared some of his determination: “My goal right now is to make sure that everything is right and prove to myself and the club that it was right to come here. Southampton has put money and also made a risk getting me, and I always try to pay that trust. That’s my biggest focus.”

Can’t ask for much more than that… well, maybe singing ‘I Want It That Way’ for the fans.