Wouter Burger intends to assume greater leadership responsibility at Hoffenheim after committing his long-term future to the Bundesliga club. The 25-year-old recently signed a contract extension following an outstanding first season in Sinsheim.
Burger registered four goals and eight assists across 30 Bundesliga starts, established himself as one of Christian Ilzer's most important players and increased his estimated market value from €4.5m to €20m.
Grischa Prömel's departure has now created space for Burger to rise further within Hoffenheim's hierarchy. The Dutch midfielder believes his personality naturally draws him toward helping younger teammates settle into the squad.
"Other players now have to step up and try to take the young and new players with them," Burger told Kicker. "I want to do that and already did so last season. It's simply part of my personality."
Burger has taken particular responsibility for summer arrivals Mats Rots and Nathan De Cat. All three can communicate in Dutch, enabling Burger to serve as an immediate reference point for the two young midfielders.
"It feels as though they are my two little brothers because all three of us can speak Dutch," Burger said. "It's simply fun having both of them here as personalities. I think they fit perfectly into our group."
Burger nevertheless stressed that Rots and De Cat must adapt to the greater speed and physicality of German football. The former Stoke City and Basel midfielder believes their technical ability was evident immediately, but wants to help them find clearly defined roles within Ilzer's team.
"They still have to find their positions in the squad, but I could see after one training session that both can play extremely well," Burger said. "Everything here is much faster and more physical than in the Netherlands."
"I had to move abroad to make a name for myself," Burger continued. "I always believed that I would succeed when someone placed their trust in me."
