Inter wingback Robin Gosens has admitted that his move to the Nerazzurri has not gone to plan, as he revealed the immense strain that a difficult year and a half has had on him and his career.
The Germany international signed for Inter from Atalanta in January 2022, but has struggled to make an impact at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Serie A and missed out on Die Mannschaft’s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Gosens held down by price-tag
In a revealing interview with Suddeutchse Zeitung, and via FCInter1908.it, Gosens opened up about his spell with Inter and the devastation at not making the cut for the Germany squad.
“Not being called up for the World Cup was a huge disappointment, the lowest point so far in my career. At the time I was not playing enough and that was something I understood,” Gosens admitted.
“I was very dissatisfied with myself because I had arrived at Inter with the aim of being a starter. If as a left-back you get signed for almost €30 million, a lot of money, then you hope that you will be a starter.
“Last season it was (Ivan) Perisic and now (Federico) Dimarco plays, but I blamed myself. I actually hoped that thanks to the move to Inter my chances of playing in the national team would increase. Instead it was the opposite.”
Injuries hold Gosens back
The 28-year-old suggested why he had struggled for form since signing for Inter, conceding that a serious hamstring injury sustained whilst at Atalanta in 2021 meant he was unable to hit the ground running upon his transfer.
“I didn’t have the right physical condition to play as a starter. I wasn’t the player Inter had hoped to buy. Part of the reason was the aftermath of the injury, which I had completely underestimated. I am a player who thrives on the physical side, and for a long time I was unable to recover my fitness,” Gosens explained.
“This meant that I was not what I wanted to be on the pitch. I was always a second late. I was in the penalty area when the ball had already gone. In the defensive phase I either chased or didn’t catch the opponent at all.
“I couldn’t utilise my strengths, running up and down the wing for 90 minutes and on my best days winning most of the duels, and I have a pretty good sense of where the goal is.”
Fairytale to frustration
The former Heracles man looked back on his career before his move to Inter with fondness, particularly after playing a part in Germany’s Euro 2020 campaign.
“My career before seemed like a fairytale. It was going higher and higher, I was praised at the highest level. I was in heaven. Suddenly at Atalanta I was the most dangerous attacking left-back in Europe. A starter at the European Championship,” Gosens said.
“Then came the injury with the relapse after the first rehabilitation. After the move to Inter I didn’t play.”
Gosens confessed that it felt as though he had been forgotten about due to his lengthy absence and drop in form, but was determined to earn his place at Inter.
“Suddenly it seemed like it was just a short trip to the top of the world. Suddenly you’re nobody. Everyone thought: Gosens? He doesn’t exist anymore. To experience all that in the space of a year, that was a heavy thing. I learnt that you are only as good as the last game you played. Football has no memory.
“At Inter I had to start from scratch and prove my qualities. Yes, it is true that it was like that before. Maybe I had to learn it all over again anyway.”
Gosens feels like Mr. Nobody
“It certainly surprised me how quickly you go from being a hero to Mr. Nobody. Comments from fans on social media, insults that I won’t repeat here, all that hurt me,” the defender explained.
“I’m still searching for the right balance, trying not to read too many positive or negative reactions. Doubting yourself after three bad performances and thinking you are a king after three good performances and can do anything is insane.
“A few days ago I shared that I graduated in psychology. Most of the reactions were positive.
“But a lot of people also wrote to me: ‘Distance learning universities are considered lower level, you haven’t done anything special, what are you going to do with this degree? Then I think: ‘What is wrong with you?’ And I get annoyed by these reactions.”
Gosens has made 42 appearances for Inter in all competitions, scoring three goals.
