Former Ghana Black Stars forward, Kevin Prince Boateng has opened up on the need for German Bundesliga side, Hertha Berlin to sit up in the ongoing season.
Hertha, who earned 35 points and dodged relegation by two points last season, roped in the service of Boateng on a free transfer in June from second-tier Italian club Monza. The 34-year-old has so far made just four starts in seven league games and is yet to play a full 90 minutes for his boyhood club.
Hertha have a derby clash against Union Berlin on Saturday and the former Tottenham Hotspur player says they must prove themselves as the biggest club in the capital.
“We need to be ready for that battle, to go into every conflict and win that little one percent, which will change the game,” he told international media Wednesday.
“We’ve so much work to do, we have to show we are the biggest club in Berlin, which we are all dreaming of,” said Boateng.
Boateng, who has represented 14 clubs across Europe including Tottenham Hotspur, AC Milan and Barcelona however wants a change in attitude and approach towards games every week.
“(This season) has been a rollercoaster – sometimes we perform as an unbelievable team, so hard to beat,” he said. “Other weeks we have big holes in defence and aren’t aggressive.
“We need to stabilise that mentality to know every weekend is war. If we work on that, then it will be a positive season for us because we will be a very hard team to beat.”
Boateng believes his experience has made him a father figure among youngsters at Hertha.
“I’m the boss – in a good way. I listen, I talk, I help, I’m the joker, I’m the singer, I do everything, but when I tell you to do something, you do as I say,” he smiled.
“My experience helps a lot. There are so many things I have seen at other clubs and in other countries, I am always happy when I see someone reach a level they didn’t think they could reach.”
Boateng played for Ghana at two FIFA World Cups; first at the 2010 edition in South Africa and the next in Brazil 2014 which happened to be his final romance with the national team after he was suspended for disciplinary reasons.
