After leaving Austria

Dovedan: Back on track after being sidelined

Back on track after being sidelined: Nikola Dovedan fought his way into the starting eleven in Heidenheim and is aiming to stay in the league with FCH.

His intermezzo at Austria? It was unfortunate. After just one season, Nikola Dovedan was "chased off the pitch" again in Favoriten. It was all the more surprising when Heidenheim, promoted to the Bundesliga, brought the Tulln native back before the start of the season. "Dove" had already played for the team from 2017 to 2019.

But one level lower, or in the 2nd division. "Frank Schmidt was already my coach back then. He knew my qualities." However, the ten-man only made brief appearances for FCH in the fall. "It was clear to me that the coach would rely on his regulars at the start. There's a lot of competition here," said the 29-year-old. "I never gave up and worked hard for my chance."

And finally got it. Dovedan has been in the starting eleven four times recently. "The key game was against Leverkusen." In which the Tulln native contributed an assist, and one round later he scored his very first Bundesliga goal in a 2-2 draw against Union Berlin. "I've dreamed of this my whole life. This competition is something else, you have to be at 100 percent every weekend. Otherwise it will be difficult, the opponents are all extremely high quality."

"Pull the game through"
Heidenheim, who have built up a cushion and are already ten points above the relegation places, also have quality. "Things are looking good now. The coach has quickly got us used to the new league. We're playing our game to the full. Nevertheless, we have to keep pushing to achieve our goal."

Things get tough after the international break. We travel to Stuttgart on Sunday and then play Bayern at home one matchday later. "We won't hide against these opponents either, we want to play boldly," said the ex-Austrian. "Our big advantage is our mentality - it's exceptional!" Just like "Dove's" explosion in performance. His contract expires again at the end of the season. In contrast to his time at Austria, he now has better arguments for an extension. "Heidenheim has given me this chance, is my first port of call!"