One of the biggest transfers in New Zealand football history is official with Sarpreet Singh signing a three-year deal with European powerhouse Bayern Munich to play in the club’s youth side.
The 20-year-old will play for Bayern Munich II in the third division of German football next season and was already looking forward to hopefully training with superstars such as Manuel Neuer, Robert Lewandowski and James Rodriguez to fast-track his development.
“The second team, we train next to the first team at the same time, so if you’re doing well in that environment you’re going to be pulled into the first team and just being around them, being around even my teammates, you’re going to learn lots every single day,” Singh told 1 NEWS.
The Wellington Phoenix academy graduate has officially signed a three-year deal with the European powerhouse.
“It’s something I’ve looked forward to my whole life, so to be here is pretty special and I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”
Singh, who graduated from the Wellington Phoenix's academy, scored nine goals in 28 matches for the senior team.
He joined from Auckland's Onehunga Sports.
Bayern had already given the 20-year-old a detailed plan on how he could progress as a footballer, which along with the club’s incredible facilities meant a player couldn’t help but improve, according to Singh.
“They basically presented me a plan of where they see me in the next three years, and in that plan was some of my strengths. I’m creative, I’m technical, I’m good on the ball but there’s also a lot of areas I need to improve if I want to take that next big step. “
“They have every single thing here, I’m at the campus at the moment where I’ll stay the next few months I think. They’ve got German teachers, you’ve got your food, your gyms, your pools, your saunas, you name it it’s here and that’s the campus as well, so the first team facilities where we train they’re unbelievable as well.
“It’s the perfect platform, the perfect environment for me to develop and be better, being here I think you can only get better.”
He had already met his new teammates at a training camp in Austria and had fit in well despite his limited German.
“There’s a few boys that speak English, and to be fair a lot of the German boys know enough English as well, so it’s been nice for me, but obviously I’ve got to learn German now, so I’m looking forward to that.”
The German lessons won’t be a priority though, with Singh focusing on knuckling down and making his family and the whole country proud.
“Obviously, they’re (my family) really happy for me and they’ve supported me throughout my career, and growing up as a kid as well, I’ll always have them in mind when I’m over here and do my best to make them proud,” Singh said.
“I’m here now and I want to do my best to make my family proud, my friends proud and also the whole country proud.”
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