When FC Schalke 04 travel to Alemannia Aachen on Friday evening (7.30pm), the Knappen will once again be hoping for a Niklas Castelle in top form.
What a match day for Niklas Castelle! The 20-year-old FC Schalke 04 II striker scored a treble in the Königsblauen’s furious 6:3 away win at Borussia Mönchengladbach’s U23 and became the acclaimed match-winner. It was the first win of the season for Schalke’s reserve team.
With a total of four goals for the season, Castelle is now the top scorer in the Regionalliga West after four games – together with Justin Diehl (Köln II) and Marc Brasnic (Alemannia Aachen).
Castelle only moved from VfL Senden in the Landesliga to his heart’s club in January 2022 and signed a contract in Gelsenkirchen until 2025.
Ahead of the young Knappen’s away match at Alemannia Aachen on Friday evening (25 August, 7.30pm), Forecasting spoke to Niklas Castelle (20):
Niklas Castelle, a crazy game lies behind the team. The 6:3 victory at Borussia Mönchengladbach’s U23 gave S04 their first win of the season. How big was the relief?
The relief was very big. I think not only with us players, but also with the coaching team. With one point from three games, we didn’t start the season the way we had imagined. The win against Gladbach, a direct duel against another U23 team, was very important. Some things didn’t go well yet, but the result was right and we can build on that together.
The three goals give me a lot of confidence and strength for the next games. It was also my first brace for Schalke. At that point, I had already scored as many goals as I had in the whole of last season.
Niklas Castelle.
You were the matchwinner in this game, scoring three goals. With a total of four goals for the season, you are currently at the top of the scorer’s list. How happy were you about your treble and was it your best game in a Schalke shirt so far?
The three goals give me a lot of confidence and strength for the next games. It was also my first brace for Schalke. At that point, I had already scored as many goals as I had in the whole of last season. I played some good games for Schalke – even if I didn’t score. The Bocholt game last November, when I scored two goals and set up two, was also a good performance on my part.
For the second time this season, you were in the starting eleven alongside strike partner Pierre-Michel Lasogga. How much do you benefit from him as a young player?
I have an incredible amount of fun working with Pierre. I get on very well with him on and off the pitch. Last year, I already had Rufat Dadashov next to me, a personality from whom I was able to learn a lot. Pierre is a kind of legend of German football for me. Everyone who is interested in the sport knows the name Lasogga. For a young striker like me, it’s worth its weight in gold to work with him.
On Friday evening, it continues for you with a highlight match at the Tivoli with Alemannia Aachen. The opponent has not started well and has already changed coaches. What kind of game do you expect?
Tivoli, Friday evening, 7.30 pm, floodlit match: I hope that many spectators will come. Aachen has had an even worse start than us. I think they have fallen short of their own expectations so far. With a new coach, all the players are fired up at first because that means the cards are reshuffled. We don’t know yet exactly how the new coach will play and it’s a bit more difficult to prepare for the game than usual. I expect a heated, high-scoring game and hope I can play my part.
You moved from the Landesliga to your heart’s club Schalke 04 one and a half years ago. How would you rate your personal development so far?
The first half season I played for the U23s was very good and exceeded my personal expectations. I went into the next season with a lot of euphoria, in which my broken nose slowed me down at the beginning. I lacked a bit of confidence as a striker. I only scored my first goal of the season after 15 games – that was a relief for me. This season, I was fortunately spared an injury and had a decent preparation. I scored my first goal in the first game of the season. I’ve taken a big step forward, both physically and in terms of my game, and I hope that this positive development continues.
