Daniel Svensson: From loan signing to key player | OneFootball

The fact Svensson pushed himself to his limits on his first start in a Black & Yellow shirt fits his reputation as a model professional. Still handicapped by the long winter break in Denmark and weeks without any game time, the new signing from FC Nordsjaelland felt the effects of the high tempo in the Champions League play-off round first leg away to Benfica in Lisbon in mid-February (3-0). His muscle cramp shortly before the final whistle prompted a playful comment from BVB captain Emre Can. "What's wrong, boss? I thought you were fit."

The players still chuckle about that story from the Portuguese capital today. After all, there can be no doubts whatsoever cast upon Svensson's fitness. On the contrary, the Stockholm-born Sweden international – who has since established himself as a first-team regular for BVB and was labelled "a machine" by his former team-mate Jeppe Tverskov – is among the hardest-running players in almost every match.

BVB's decision to incorporate a purchase option into the loan deal for Svensson in February has paid off. On Wednesday, the Black & Yellows exercised that option and signed the 23-year-old on a contract until 2029. For sporting director Sebastian Kehl, this was a logical step. "Daniel has completely fulfilled our expectations from the first day. He has settled in quickly and immediately enhanced our team with his performances. His intensity and versatility suit our game very well and give us plenty of options. On top of that, Daniel is also a good guy and a model professional."

Head coach Niko Kovac was similarly lavish with his praise – only a matter of weeks after Svensson's switch to the Bundesliga. "He is sensational in terms of running, very tidy on the ball, makes few mistakes and always offers a passing option. At the back, he does everything that needs to be done."

The sporting director and the head coach are not alone in holding him in such a high regard. Outside the club too, Svensson has long been seen as a transfer hit. For example, he was voted as the 'Rookie of the Month' for April in a poll involving fans, club representatives and a selection of Bundesliga experts, beating off competition from Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) and Leopold Querfeld (Union Berlin) in the process. "That shows that we've done a really good job in terms of scouting and that we've made another discovery," Kovac said.

Even an lay-off caused by an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his knee, which lasted around four weeks and ruled him out of the Champions League round of 16 first leg against OSC Lille, did not set the new signing back. He has been part of the starting XI since the 4-1 win in Freiburg on Matchday 28 and has helped his team pick up 19 points from the last seven games to ensure they have Champions League qualification in their own hands when they face Kiel in front of a sell-out crowd of 81,365 at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK on Saturday. After Matchday 26, BVB occupied 11th position in the table and were 10 points adrift of fourth position.

In addition to his running stamina, Svensson has impressed with his tactical versatility and has now proven himself across 15 competitive appearances both as a left-back in a classic back four and as a wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation. Qualities that suit Kovac's style of play. "He likes players who work hard, who always make an effort, who give their best every day and are disciplined," answered Svensson when asked about the coach's preferences in a recent interview with Ruhr Nachrichten.

In view of his high suitability to the coach's requirements and his quick integration into the squad, Svensson did not need to think for long before penning the contract. "It's a great club with brilliant fans. My goal here is that we can celebrate successes together. To that end, I will work hard every day," he promised. (You can read the interview here)

Proclamations like that from a fighter like him sound genuine. But he doesn't like to make a big fuss about all the praise for his strongmindedness and hard running. "It's part of my personality. I simply have a good level of basic fitness." Further jokes like the one from Can on his Champions League debut in Lisbon are unlikely to follow in the future.