There was an unusual guest to marvel at in the national team’s training session on Saturday morning: HSV keeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes took part in the session at short notice.
Manuel Neuer is injured, Marc-André ter Stegen guarded the goal of the German national team for 90 minutes during the 2-1 victory of the German national team in the World Cup qualifier against Romania on Friday evening. Thus, only Bernd Leno was available for the training of the German national team on Saturday morning from the originally nominated goalkeeper trio.
But the Arsenal keeper did not have to train alone, as he received support at short notice from Daniel Heuer Fernandes. The 28-year-old Hamburger SV goalkeeper helped out at the HSV training ground at the Volksparkstadion at short notice.
“For a professional preparation for the match against North Macedonia on Monday, it is important that we have another goalkeeper available in addition to Bernd, who did not play yesterday,” said Andreas Kronenberg, the goalkeeper coach of the national team, describing Heuer Fernandes’ short-term substitution. In addition to Heuer Fernandes, Kronenberg also thanked HSV goalkeeper coach Sven Höh and the U-21 goalkeeper coach at the DFB, Klaus Thomforde, through whom the contact was made. “This is how we imagine cooperation between the national team and the club,” praised Kronenberg.
Heuer Fernandes began his professional career at VfL Osnabrück. Via SC Paderborn and Darmstadt 98, he found his way to HSV in the summer of 2019. He advanced to become a regular keeper for the Hanseatic League, but in the 2020/21 season he had to take his place behind Sven Ulreich and only made three competitive appearances. After the departure of the veteran, he is once again the number one between the posts and has kept the HSV goal in all competitive matches this season. Heuer Fernandes can also already look back on international experience, between 2012 and 2015 the Bochum-born keeper kept goal six times for the Portuguese U-21s.
Heuer Fernandes: “It was a lot of fun and I would like to thank the DFB and HSV “
“Of course it’s a bit strange (smiles), but when the request came, I didn’t have to think twice,” Heuer Fernandes is quoted as saying on the HSV website. “Even though it was only a training session, it is of course something special to be in the circle of the national team. It was a lot of fun and I would like to thank the DFB and HSV. “
