Robin Gosens expecting big things from Schalke this season

The Royal Blues completed their pre-season tour of Japan with an emphatic 3-1 win over J1 League outfit Fagiano Okayama over the weekend.

Gosens pulled on a Schalke shirt for the first time since moving to Gelsenkirchen on loan from Fiorentina, adding to the excitement.

The training camp in the picturesque Stubaital, Austria has been considered as a roaring success by all involved, with the squad now eagerly anticipating the start of the new season.

"It was a lot of hard work, especially in those temperatures. But it was unbelievably fun to be out there on that pitch with the lads," Gosens said.

He also admitted it will take a bit more time for him to get fully acclimatised with his new team and the way they play football.

The defender reserved special praise for centre-back Hasan Kurucay, who he is excited to play alongside when the Bundesliga season gets underway.

"He was outstanding and talked me through the game from behind," Gosens revealed.

"This week has done me a world of good - I've integrated into the setup perfectly. I could tell straight away that this is a close-knit team and one that wants to achieve big things.

"Pre-season is all about putting the hard yards in - improving week after week and being in top shape for the start of the season.

"Against Okayama we already put together some really good passing moves and had some strong moments with their gegenpressing.

"Going forward we've got players who can turn in tight spaces and play quick one-touch combinations - I really like that.

"The training camp has come to an end now. We had some really good sessions, and of course they were very demanding. That's all part of it. We want to keep pushing forward.

"It was another good chance to test ourselves in a friendly. I'd say everything's gone to plan. Now we're really starting to look forward to a season of Bundesliga football."

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