Interviews

Jens: Our girls will be the hungriest on the pitch

The German coach has penned a three-and-a-half-year deal with Albion.

By Heather Miller • 28 December 2022

By Paul Hazlewood
Jens has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract.

In an exclusive first interview with Jens, he shared his excitement to sign as the new women’s head coach at Albion.

He said, “I’ve had a really warm welcome! The club is amazing and the facilities are brilliant, so I can’t wait to start working with the whole squad, to prepare well and hard for the rest of the season.

“I want to say thank you to Amy [Merricks] for the great job she did [as acting head coach following Hope Powell’s departure in October]. It was a hard time for all at the club but now we are looking for a successful future and I will do everything to help us reach our goals.

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Scheuer excited about head coach role

“Brighton is a really young club but one with a great vision. The package from the club, the philosophy, this is the thing I searched for and I can’t wait to get working for this brilliant club.”

Scheuer reflected on the recruitment process and insisted that Albion is where he had his heart set on from the beginning.

He added, “When I first started talking with David [Weir, technical director], I told my agent that I wanted to go to Brighton. When I then met the staff in person it was absolutely clear that I wanted to come and work for these people. It’s an honour for me to be here and also to be the first German head coach in the Super League.”

By Paul Hazlewood
Jens Scheuer's first game will be at Leicester City in the WSL on 15 January.

Having previously coached at FC Bayern Munich Frauen and SC Freiburg Frauen in the women’s Bundesliga, Jens wants to embrace a new challenge and compete in the WSL.

He added, “I’ve seen a lot of reports on the team, watched a lot of the games and I know the team is talented, but I know we have to work hard and to play really intensively – this is what we want to be. We know we are not the biggest club with the most money, but I can promise you we will be the club with the hungriest girls on the pitch.

“What I also have to do is figure out the strengths and weaknesses of every player in the league. This was my strength in Germany, to know every player and on this process I have been working very hard, day by day, since I signed.

“I’m a person who every day gives his best to be the best. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t but I’m sure we will grow up together – me as a coach and also the team – and I see myself as part of the team.

“I’m not a one-man show, I’m part of a team which will grow step by step and I’m sure we will have success in the future. I want to employ a winning mentality in the team on and off the pitch - this is a big goal for the whole squad and myself."