Sunderland loanee Ron-Thorben Hoffmann has been full of praise for the backing he's received during his stint at the Stadium of Light after his loan came to an end. The goalkeeper has returned to Bayer Munich after failing to make the number of appearances that would have triggered a stay on Wearside.
The 23-year-old began the season as number one under Lee Johnson, but struggled to make it back into the side after a bout with Covid-19. He was named on the bench for the play-off final win against Wycombe Wanderers and has given a brilliant insight into his preparations for the day in his column with Kicker.
Hoffmann looked to German goalkeeper Hans Tilkowski, the number one in the 1966 World Cup Final, for inspiration ahead of the day. He said: "It’s done! After many ups and some downs in a season typical of this “crazy” club, the AFC have finally achieved promotion after three years in the third division.
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"And the atmosphere was gigantic: the legendary Wembley Stadium is jam-packed and almost entirely in red and white. The fans sing through 94 minutes at a deafening volume, “Sunderland til I die...” is truly the melody of the metropolis on this Saturday in May.
"The day in the hotel started for me of course with a little melancholy. In the morning I have to think of the famous sentence by German goalkeeper legend Hans Tilkowski: “We lost 2-2 today.” He said that after the lost final of the 1966 World Cup in England. And of course, the ball wasn’t in it and yet Germany lost 2-4."
The loanee made a steady start to life in English football but struggled to break back into the first team after a bout with Covid-19. However, the Bayern Munich shot stopper does not look back on Sunderland's win under the arch with envy.
Hoffmann added: "Did I also lose after I had to give up my regular place as number one to a colleague, despite really good performances and values in 23 games because of the whole Corona story? No.
"It is always important to reflect, but also not to lose sight of the bigger picture. As a team, we achieved our goal for the season under really difficult circumstances. The fans are (finally) happy, and I made an important contribution to that with almost half of the points we scored.
"And personally I’ve gained quite a lot this year at the north-east tip of England: new friends, a new understanding of the game and a completely different, fascinating mentality and (fan) culture. I’m 100 percent sure that these important experiences have helped me as a person and as a top athlete and will help me further on in professional football."
Hoffmann claims he will now become a Sunderland fan after a memorable spell on Wearside. He adds: "I’m proud to have been part of this crazy club and to have played my part in finally continuing the Netflix series on an even more positive note. And maybe I learned the most from the fans of the club.
"They never stopped believing in their club, even when things were going really badly. They love football, their city and their club. It is this passion that has fascinated me about football since I was a child. I would like to thank the fans of Sunderland from the bottom of my heart for that!
"From now on, I will be one of the many fans who will follow Sunderland and follow their journey, which will hopefully lead back to the Premier League soon. The fans deserve it.
"What’s next for me? ”Let’s see,” Franz Beckenbauer would say. And to close the loop: like Günter Netzer did in the legendary first victory of a German national team in Wembley, I will come out of the depths of the room and attack anew elsewhere.
"My goal is to find a real football home. That can be good for an ambitious second division team, where you rely on young players with foresight and patience and want to build something in the long term. Stay tuned, I’ll keep you posted!"
