Tahith Chong is keen to emulate two of European football's leading stars who honed their skills at Werder Bremen, as he spoke about his decision to leave Manchester United on loan.
The 20-year-old completed a season-long move to the Bundesliga club on Sunday, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to develop the talented Dutch winger.
And after sealing a United loan exit, Chong name-checked Bayern Munich's Serge Gnabry and Man City superstar Kevin De Bruyne as two former Bremen players he would love to match at the club.
Both had stuttering spells in the Premier League before moves to Bremen kick-started their careers. De Bruyne joined Wolfsburg after Bremen before returning to storm English football with City, while ex-Arsenal man Gnabry is now pivotal for Bayern.
”It’s definitely in the back of your head when you come here," Chong told Bremen’s website about the club's reputation for developing young talent.
“The club’s history and reputation for helping players like Gnabry and De Bruyne advance their careers is always good to hear, so I’m sure this the right place to continue my development."
Chong admitted he is excited to start playing regular games in the Bundesliga and views this season as a crucial one for his career.
He added: “I already knew about the club and how big Werder are in Germany when I first spoke to the coach. The decision was a very easy one. The approach of the club is also excellent so I knew straightaway that this will be the right team for me.
“Having watched games from last season, it’s clear that there are a lot of young players coming through in the Bundesliga and that’s really exciting to see. You can see it here in Bremen as well with players who are the same age or younger than me!
“My main aim to play as much as possible and to help Werder to win as many games as we can.”
