Plea: “Hard work always pays off”

Gladbach striker Alassane Plea discusses his recent goal, the tough times he’s endured in the last few weeks and the upcoming home game against FC Augsburg.

Gladbach striker Alassane Plea discusses his recent goal, the tough times he’s endured in the last few weeks and the upcoming home game against FC Augsburg.

Lasso, you scored your first Bundesliga goal for two and a half months during the 1-1 draw in Bielefeld. How important was that goal for you personally?

Plea: I was really happy to score, it gave me a great feeling. I’d gone without scoring for a long time before that, and getting goals is important for a striker’s confidence. I kept working hard and am really pleased to have got my reward with this goal. My physical fitness is getting better and better – I played 90 minutes against Bielefeld and felt good, so I hope it continues.

You’ve been starting a few games recently, but you’ve often made late appearances off the bench this season. What’s that period been like for you?

Plea: It was a difficult and unfortunate time for me personally, but I never gave up and continued to work hard in training, and hard work always pays off. When I get the chance to play, I give it my all and try to bring my qualities onto the pitch so I can help the team. I know I’m capable of more than what I’ve been doing recently.

An important game against FC Augsburg at BORUSSIA-PARK on Saturday (15:30 CET) is next on the agenda. What are you expecting going into this game?

Plea: We know we’re in a difficult position right now. But we’re playing at home and fans are fortunately allowed back in the stadium again. We need to win the game for them as well as for us. We only got a draw against Bielefeld although we felt like we deserved more, which makes it even more important that we win against Augsburg this weekend. It’ll be a tough game and our opposition is in good form at the minute, but we’re working better as a team right now and are going to stick together and give everything to pick up three points at home.