Interview
27.06.18
Khaled Narey: "I had a good feeling straight away"
HSV’s latest signing spoke to us in an interview about his first day in Hamburg, the second division and his personal aims at his new club.
Khaled Narey is head coach Christian Titz’s fourth summer signing. His pace on the wing and his experience in the Bundesliga 2 will help his new teammates in the coming season. The 23-year-old explains among other things what his aims are for next season with HSV, what he thinks of the quality in the second division and what he’s looking forward to most.
Khaled, first of all: Welcome to HSV. What are your first impressions?
Khaled Narey: I feel really good. Yesterday was a long day with the medical and the signing of the contract, and today I’ve already had my first training session, but I am very pleased to be here in Hamburg.
What were the deciding factors which made you choose HSV?
I did not want to simply pass up the opportunity to play for a big, traditional club like HSV. The deciding factors were certainly the positive talks I had with Christian Titz and sporting director Ralf Becker. They explained to me exactly what their plans with me are and I had a good feeling straight away: I could fully identify with the aims of the club. Everything just worked for me, so it didn’t take me long to make the decision.
What are you looking forward to most at HSV?
I am already really looking forward to playing in the Volksparkstadion. When you see that stadium, as a footballer, you just want to go for it straight away. My aim is to put in good performances in this stadium, in front of the fantastic crowd. Furthermore, I’ve heard a lot about the Hamburg derby against St. Pauli – I’m looking forward to those games especially.
You know a lot of your new teammates already don’t you?
I played against Gideon Jung and Arianit Ferati a few times as a youth player. Gideon is from Düsseldorf and my parents live in Leverkusen – I used to go out for food and to watch football with him. I am looking forward to getting to know the other lads in the team over the next few weeks as well now.
You played every single one of the 34 league games for Greuther Fürth last season. What are your strengths?
I am a hard worker and I would like to play in every game. That’s my aim here at HSV as well. I’m also fast and strong in one-on-one situations. I always try to help the team as best I can.
"I will play wherever the manager decides to play me"
You are flexible and can play in multiple positions. Where do you prefer to play?
At Greuther Fürth I played as a fullback and as a winger. Last season I was mainly at right mid and scored goals from there as well. I can really play to my strengths in that position – that’s where I feel most comfortable, but I will play wherever the manager decides to play me.
You’ve played over 70 games in the Bundesliga 2, which means you’ll be bringing a lot of experience into the team. What is the quality in the second division like? What is awaiting HSV?
The Bundesliga 2 is a hard fought division. We’ll be facing a lot of tough challenges and have to cope with a long-ball game. As a team, we’ll be able to prepare well for our oppositions and will want to push for promotion. We will take the challenge on well, I’m sure.
What are your personal aims for next season?
I want to start well. That involves playing well at training and integrating myself into the existing structure of the team. For every player, the aim is to get as much game time as possible. I would like to help the team with my strengths and abilities. My aim is of course to play in the Bundesliga and I’m sure I can achieve this with HSV.