Burkardt: “I’m glad that it’s behind me”

When a team is battling relegation, hope is a necessity and players that can inspire it are in high demand. Enter Jonathan Burkardt, who has served as an inspiration for 1. FSV Mainz 05 and fans of the club on two occasions recently. First, his emotional comeback to the side after a year-long spell on the sidelines against Hoffenheim, before he signed a contract extension until 2027 on New Year’s Day. Burkardt has been in high spirits during the 05ers’ winter training camp in Marbella, which is primarily down to one thing: “I’m grateful to be here and healthy again.” However, Burkardt is also staying humble about his return to the pitch: “I’m don’t need people to think of me as the one to come in and turn everything around or change our whole game.” Nevertheless, the 23-year-old is aware of his positive influence on the morale of the team. “That’s where I see my role, not as the team’s saviour.” 

Last year, Burkardt was fully focused to his recovery and, even then, expressed his interest in extending his contract to the club. It was clear to him quite early on that he wanted to stay longer at Mainz. With a return to training not too far away, both parties sat down and agreed on a contract extension for the home-grown talent, who has been at the club since he played for the U14s. “It just worked out,” shared Burkardt, who is feeling full of confidence again after his injury. “We have such a good, trusting relationship with each other. The support of the fans, which I’ve experienced over my time at the club, is second to none. I’m really happy and really feel at home here.”

Training camp crucial to the long road to recovery

The forward was held in high regard by everyone at the club, especially during his long spell on the sidelines. Perhaps that is the reason why Burkardt never doubted that he would be able to return to the pitch. But it wasn’t always easy. "You ask yourself what you’re doing it all for and whether it still really matters. But I knew that I wanted to do everything I could to get back out there. I’m glad that it’s behind me now.” Missing an entire year brings its problems. At the age of 16, Burkardt had already spent eight or nine months of his career out injured. 

This was also very noticeable for the forward in Marbella. Although Burkadt got valuable minutes in every game and took part in the training sessions leading up to the winter break, he still doesn’t think that his performances are at the same standard as they used to be, and that they won’t be even after the training camp. “I was able to train fully for a week with the team in 2023. Everything went really quickly and we only had a short break between the end of last season and the start of this one. I also don’t think it’s normal to come back after a year and get 20-30 minutes of game time straight away or be named in the starting XI. I felt ready to train, although I have to admit that I wasn’t completely fit. But I’ll be back out there again.”

Supportive of the younger players

The 23-year-old is aiming to help the 05ers stay in the Bundesliga and collect vital points to steer them clear of the bottom three. “We’ve played well for a few games under Jan Siewert so far, but haven’t converted enough of our chances.” The new head coach is "more practical and focused on the opponent", however there have been no changes made to the forward’s individual role on the pitch. Despite this, Siewert does not want to put too much pressure on his player by setting high expectations. Burkardt aims to lead the way on the pitch by “making lots of quick runs, dictating play, creating space, and scoring a few goals as well.” 

With experience under his belt, Burkardt can offer help and support to a younger teammate who has also been out of action for some time and has just suffered a minor setback. Nelson Weiper has been absent from Mainz’s squad since the middle of September due to injury. “We see each other at the Bruchweg from time to time. I’ve spoken to him on a few occasions.” More than anything, he is happy to help the 18-year-old deal with the problems that such a long absence entails. After all, he knows better than anyone that you should never give up hope.