Simmons: Roze is a good coach and a good person; Leipzig should have beaten Real Madrid that year

Hupu September 5th Harvey Simmons accepted an exclusive interview with the Leipzig People's Daily.

Former head coach Roze praised your attitude without any concealment, especially your attitude towards training. Are you really the first to arrive in the morning and the last to arrive in the evening?

I am very happy that Marco said this; I admire him very much. Of course, I didn't verify when who came to train and when who left training. For me, it is always reasonable to be on time.

After training intervals and after training, there are many different equipment available in our well-equipped training center. Even in the fast-paced world of football, there are things that won’t change: talent is helpful in the career path, but you can only play to your best level in training. I can only show my daily training results on weekends.

Roze also said that you are a "very good kid", but you are not perfect in everything. You know your extraordinary status as a football star and a social media celebrity, and you sometimes challenge your bottom line, and not everyone likes it. Is he right?

Marco is always right! We have had a special relationship since day one. I quickly felt that he was an excellent coach and a good person.

Roze often talks to me about basic things: what matters on the court, in the locker room and off the court. Where I need to improve and how I should behave in some cases. He knew that I had a strong desire to win. And, yes, you can also see how frustrated I was after losing the game.

When Olmo and Fosberry leave and Schragher is out due to injury, who can still fight with you in the already difficult 2024/25 season? During that last period, did you feel a little confused when you draw your sword?

I don't feel this way; in fact, I prefer to bring the positive side of my former teammates to Tottenham Hotspur. This is the fact, and there is no doubt that after Olmo left, we all lost a world-class teammate, and I also lost a close friend.

I have a very close relationship with Danny, I have known each other since Lamacia and have never lost contact, so it was great to be able to work with such great players and people, and some people didn’t realize how important he is to our game until Olmo stopped playing for us anymore. The same is true for

Shrager, who is at the heart of our game and has been recuperating almost all season. In addition, Henrissian demeanor and empathy will also be of great help to us. Without these very important teammates, it would be even more difficult for us to compete for a Champions League place.

The first serious injury in your career—a ligament tear—makes things more difficult.

Yes, sorry. I would rather not be injured.

performed strongly in the first season of the 2023/24 season...

. This is true for me personally and for the entire team. We have almost no injuries, few problems, strong team spirit, and close relationships with Marco Roze. All of this is obvious on the court. Sometimes, we feel like we are about to achieve great things.

Are you referring to the loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16?

There should be only one winning goal in this round of 16 match. And that ball did not come from Real Madrid.

You and you ranked seventh in the league in the second year. Did you completely fail?

I understand the disappointment of the fans. We all want to win more games; no one will be happy with this season. But is this a failed year? No. Hopefully, all of us, myself included, have gained valuable experience and this will help us grow.

Development also includes dealing with injuries, setbacks and the departure of top teammates. There are a lot of things that I have never experienced in my football career in the 2024/25 season.