Khedira will not be ´the big boss or the big saviour´ at Hertha

Sami Khedira is not intending to make himself “the big boss and the big saviour” of Hertha Berlin following his arrival from Juventus.

World Cup-winning midfielder Khedira joined Hertha on deadline day after being frozen out at Juve – he did not make a single appearance in a matchday squad under Andrea Pirlo.

Hertha sit 15th in the Bundesliga and are only outside the relegation play-off spot on goal difference, with Pal Dardai replacing Bruno Labbadia as head coach last week.

Khedira hopes to use his experience to steer the club away from the bottom three, though he has no intention of being an overbearing presence in the dressing room.

He told reporters: “I’m not coming here and saying, ‘I’m the big boss.’ I’m a normal man on the team.

“There are players who have more to say, that’s in my nature a bit. But I’m a normal footballer who wants to do my part here.

“I want to bring in my experience and make clear statements. But I haven’t come here to portray myself as the big boss and the big saviour. I’m part of the team.”

@SamiKhedira is next to face the press: I haven’t played in the Bundesliga for over ten years. I want to play and take on responsibility. We have a young squad with lots of potential, but they haven’t shown it on the pitch yet. I want to help us do better!
#HaHoHe pic.twitter.com/rLocb4YiaN

— Hertha Berlin (@HerthaBSC_EN) February 2, 2021

Despite having played just 30 minutes of football since the 2019-20 season was suspended in March amid the coronavirus pandemic, Khedira assured he is ready to get straight down to work.

“I’m 100 per cent fit,” said Khedira. “When you train with world-class players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Giorgio Chiellini and Alex Sandro, you are always challenged.

“I left [Juventus] as I arrived: with a laugh. I spent five and a half fantastic years there. But now it’s Hertha.”

Khedira has an agreement with Hertha until the end of the season but is not ruling out staying beyond that.

“We’ve come to an agreement to work together until the end of the season. That doesn’t mean that it will definitely end there, though,” he said.

“There’s huge trust between me and [sporting director] Arne Friedrich, so we don’t need a piece of paper binding us together.”