Nsereko wants Germany to push on

His side have qualified for the semi-finals of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship with a game to spare yet Savio Nsereko is keen for Germany to keep the momentum going when they play Hungary in their final fixture to decide the winners of Group A.

'Look forward'
Horst Hrubesch's side have overcome Spain and Bulgaria in their first two fixtures to book a third semi-final in the last four seasons, yet the coach is adamant his side must not lose focus and striker Nsereko is in full agreement. "We've played well and I'm happy with that but now we have to look forward," he told uefa.com. "We know how strong we are and we can beat any team. As a squad our wish is to win the tournament and of course I want that too. We have a very good team – in defence, midfield and attack – and we're one of the strongest teams at this tournament. All the parts of the team are strong and as a squad we're really united, with the 18 players, coach and the rest of the staff. I only want to give my best – the team is more important than any player."

Changing styles
Nsereko scored his first competitive U19 goal in Thursday's 3-0 win against Bulgaria, getting Germany's second with a fine piece of skill and a composed finish, and he believes the ability to adapt is one of the key lessons from this tournament. "I'm enjoying the experience here; you can learn from every match and get better," he said. "This is a new experience for me and it's very good to play against the best players and teams in Europe. International football improves you as a player: the pace, tactical abilities – every team is different. You can't play the same against Spain and against Bulgaria, for example. They play in different ways so you learn to change your game. In Germany and Italy, teams tend to have the same styles."

Italy switch
The forward, who celebrates his 19th birthday on 27 July – the day after the final – is well placed to judge German and Italian football having started his career with TSV 1860 München before moving to Brescia Calcio three years ago. "I moved to Germany from Uganda when I was two, and when I was six 1860 München spotted me," he said. "I was playing for a smaller team, 1880 München, and we played against 1860. They liked what they saw and called me to training, then selected me and I was there for the next few years, but I wanted to go to Italy to get better.

Tactical improvement
"I like Italian football, it's very tactical," said Nsereko, who made five Serie B appearances for Brescia in 2007/08. "I've improved a lot there, tactically, defensively and technically. The game is more tactical and technical – German football is more physical and faster, and I like that as well, but in Brescia I have had the chance to grow up. I wanted to play and to grow up, those are the most important things and Brescia was the best opportunity to do that. For the future, my dream is to one day play in Serie A, the Premier League or the Bundesliga – the best European leagues. I know I can improve on lots of things but next season I just want to play more and do as well as I can. That's realistic I think."