Robin Koch believes his three-year stint at Leeds United has ensured he is ready to take the next step in his career in the Bundesliga. The defender completed his return to Germany last week after securing a season-long loan deal with Europa Conference League outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.
With his contract at Elland Road due to expire at the end of the season, the switch ensures he has played his last game for Leeds, with his time at the club unfortunately ending in relegation. Koch, who has been joined in Germany by his Leeds teammate Brenden Aaronson following his switch to Union Berlin, had plenty of reported interest over the summer months with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur being amongst those linked.
However, the 26-year-old insists the option of joining Frankfurt appealed to him most and over the next year he’ll be keen to establish himself as a leader at the club and win back his place with the national team set up.
"I'm absolutely delighted to be here,” he said during his first press conference at the club. “In the end it was a gut decision. I just have a great feeling, which was also confirmed in the first two days.
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"I want to be a leader and that's what the coach and everyone expects of me. When I left the Bundesliga, my goal was to develop and mature as a person. After three years I can say that it worked.
"The development of Eintracht didn't pass me by either. I think there's a bit of a sense of upheaval now and I'm happy to keep up with the development. What has been going on here in recent years, Frankfurt and its fans, has been noticed all over the world. My style of play, my emotional nature on the pitch fits the club perfectly.
"Of course it's a step that I've thought about carefully. Of course, returning to the national team is also an issue, but my full focus here is on Frankfurt.
“I asked one or two guys I know beforehand. For example (Kevin) Trapp. That's when I got a feeling of what the team looks like. That was more than positive and contributed to my decision.”
