The safest hands in Germany

By Rafael Honigstein

Walking into VfB Stuttgart's crowded club restaurant fresh from a photo-shoot for a fashion magazine and the filming of a goal-keeping CD-Rom, Timo Hildebrand projects the calm, collected and quietly confident manner of a young man who can seemingly do no wrong these days.

Bundesliga record
The 24-year-old set a new Bundesliga record of playing 884 minutes without conceding a goal and has already been linked with Rudi Völler's national team. And, to top it all, Hildebrand's and his team's surprisingly accomplished performances in the UEFA Champions League have made qualification for the knockout phase a very realistic prospect.

'A dream'
"We are not through yet, but the way it has gone so far is really a dream for us," Hildebrand told uefa.com. "Our next game against Rangers [FC] will be like a final. A draw will be enough to take us through, but if we lose, we have to go to Old Trafford and win there. And we know how hard that would be. That's why we cannot afford to let this chance slip."

Genuine surprise
Hildebrand is genuinely surprised how quickly the side matured after the 2-1 defeat at Ibrox on Matchday 1. "We learned that you must never stop concentrating," he said. "We also play more cautiously now. At the same time, we have a strong belief that we can always come back and turn games around if need be."

Hard training
He made a point of praising coach Felix Magath's well-known emphasis on fitness: "I don't think any team works harder than us in training. We see the benefits of that regime in every game."

'Devoted to football'
Magath's young side keep confounding the experts and have become the darlings of German football but Hildebrand, the son of a railway worker who joined the club at the age of 16, takes it all in his stride. "It's sometimes hard to cope with all the attention, but I try to isolate myself from all that by being totally devoted to football," he said.

No agents
That is also the reason he is not employing the services of an agent. "I like to decide about things myself and keep them quiet - it's not good to have people constantly linking you with other clubs," said Hildebrand.

Staying put
It is only natural that the Swabian's progress should have alerted other sides - half the Bundesliga as well as some international heavyweights are rumoured to be after the goalkeeper. Hildebrand is not worried. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm very grateful Stuttgart have given me the chance to develop," he said. "I see myself staying here for a number of years."

Unusual approach
Germans traditionally like their goalkeepers big and brash but Hildebrand, at 1.85m, believes lots of muscles and a big mouth are not necessary prerequisites for success. "I think it's a bit of a cliché," he said. "I believe you don't have to be a loudmouth and you don't need to be giant. Agility and mental strength can be just as important."

Cool demeanour
He is unwilling to look much beyond the Rangers game but volunteers that it is much too early to speak of Stuttgart as serious contenders for the Bundesliga title, saying: "Of course it's everybody's dream to win the championship but first we need to consolidate."

Sensible attitude
In the meantime, do not expect Hildebrand to get carried away. "Our coach always says‚ 'it's not that easy to reach the top, but staying there is much, much harder'," said Hildebrand. "He'll make sure we all keep our feet firmly on the ground."