[Saba Sports News] German forward Deniz Undav recently opened up to the media about his late-blooming football career. Undav said: “It has been an incredibly tough journey, yet full of joy. When I was younger, I trained to become a machine tool operator. I’ve seen all walks of life, and I’m grateful I got here through blood, sweat and tears rather than being churned out mechanically through a rigid youth academy system.” To make ends meet in his youth, Undav worked in a factory while playing amateur football. “It wasn’t actually as gruelling as it sounds. I’d get up at 4 a.m. every day and leave home by 4:30 to catch the bus. The ride took 40 minutes, followed by a 30 to 40-minute walk to the factory on the industrial estate. After finishing my shift, I headed back the same way, grabbed a quick bite to eat, packed my gear and headed straight to training. I lived this routine for two full years.”
The editor believes that a career as a professional footballer once seemed completely out of reach for Deniz Undav, and his remarkable rise to success is something he could never have imagined back then. It was not until he transferred to Eintracht Braunschweig, at the age of 21, that Undav finally saw a glimmer of hope.