Lewis Holtby says moving to Tottenham in the summer is a chance to ‘fulfil his dreams’ of Premier League football, but insists he will give his all for current side Schalke until the end of the season.
The 22-year-old midfielder sparked a scramble for his signature between Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs after declining a new deal with the Bundesliga club, and has signed a pre-contract agreement with the White Hart Lane club.
Despite deciding that his future lies away from the Veltins-Arena, the Germany Under-21 international insists he will go “full-throttle” for the Royal Blues to repay the club for the fond memories of his time there.
“I thought long about the decision I’ve made,” he told reporters. “I want to take my chance to fulfil my dream. I have dreamed about the Premier League since I was a boy.
“I have asked myself many questions. What happens next year? Is it too early? Schalke’s offer was good, but did not work out.
“Tottenham are a top club and I’m fulfilling my dream. Negotiations with Schalke were initially advanced, but then I looked over it all carefully again. I have spoken to Andre Villas-Boas and I am confident in his plans.”
The promising midfielder says he is grateful for his time at the Bundesliga club, and reveals that the decision was a tough one to make – but he believes it is the right one in order to progress his career.
He continued: “It was a brave decision, but so far in my career, these decisions have been right. I talked to a lot of my closest friends about the change, then I came to this decision.
“At the moment, it says that I will leave Schalke in the summer, but you never know in football.
“I have always been honest and true. Schalke mean a lot to me. I will respect the opinion of the fans. I would like to thank everyone at Schalke in advance for the great time I’ve had here.
“I will not let off – I will go full-throttle until the last minute for Schalke. The fans need to know this.”