Philipp Hofmann feels he is adjusting well to life in England after his summer move to Brentford from 1.FC Kaiserslautern.
The 22-year-old striker has netted three times for The Bees since joining in July but feels he is starting to get used to the physicality of playing in the English second tier.
Speaking to Bees Player Philipp said: “I played the full 90 minutes in the first game that I played but after my injury it hasn’t been easy for me. I have had to work on my fitness but now I feel very good. The goal in the last game gave me good energy for the coming games. The Championship is a very physical league and it is different from the 2.Bundesliga in Germany. I thought that was a hard league but the league here is very high tempo, aggressive and physical.”
The Germany U21 International had never played outside of Germany before crossing the Channel to come to Griffin Park and he said that has posed it’s own challenges to overcome.
However Philipp said he has been really warmly welcomed by the players at Jersey Road and they have helped him to settle in well.
“Brentford is very much a family club and is different to other clubs,” said Philipp. “The club is one family and we are always happy. From the first day I arrived the players have helped me. I love being here in London and it might be better than Germany. This is my first-time in England and the first-time that I have been in another country. For me it has been ok but it has been hard for my family. They come over every month and now it is perfect.”
Philipp netted the 95th minute winner in The Bees last Sky Bet Championship match, a 2-1 home win against Nottingham Forest.
After being reduced to ten men with nearly 30 minutes to play Philipp said the late goal was a massive boost for the team and for himself as he looks to cement his spot in the starting line-up.
“It was a very good game,” said Philipp. “To score in the last minute was a brilliant feeling but it was important to get the three points and move forward to the next game. The goal gave us a lot of confidence not only for me but for the whole team. We are always dangerous in the last few minutes and it is not easy for teams to play at Griffin Park. We are happy now and hopefully we can win the next game and move forward. I really like Marco Djuricin, he is my neighbour in the tower, but that is football. Hopefully I can play in the starting XI from now on but we will see.”
Bees Player subscribers can watch the full interview with Philipp below