New Leeds United goalkeeper Felix Wiedwald has revealed that he took English lessons before his transfer was completed last week.
The German was announced on Friday as United’s second main signing of the summer, and their fourth in total, after joining from Werder Bremen for around £500,000 and penning a three-year contract.
Wiedwald, 27, has revealed he is intent on taking the No1 jersey from Rob Green, who overcame a shaky start to his Leeds career last season to deliver some outstanding performances in the second half of the campaign as they fell narrowly short in their promotion bid,
The new arrival from the Bundesliga admitted he had been in contact with the Championship club for a long time before he signed and has also been having English lessons to ensure the language barrier is not an issue.
The former Germany Under-20s player made 25 appearances in the Bundesliga last season to help Bremen finish eighth and insists that he has not arrived at Leeds merely to sit on the bench and play second fiddle to veteran Green, who is 10 years his senior.
Asked if the no 1 jersey was within his sights, Wiedwald told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “Of course. I am coming to play. I want to develop us and me and I hope we will play a good season.
“I have come to play and give my best on the pitch and it’s a target to get some clean sheets.
“In this last past month I have done some English lessons and I am very happy to be here now.”
The goalkeeper also revealed that his move to Elland Road had been in the pipeline for some time before it was completed two weeks after the appointment of new manager Thomas Christiansen.
“We have been in contact for a long time and now I am here,” he added to the Yorkshire Evening Post. “I am very happy to be here. “It’s a huge club with so much history and tradition and it’s amazing to be here.
“Leeds United is for me a sleeping giant. It’s a club with so many great supporters and the stadium is most of the time full. It’s great to be here.”