Zimmermann could have joined Danish side before Canaries chance arrived
Christoph Zimmermann with the Championship trophy at Villa Park at the end of last season Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Promotion hero Christoph Zimmermann has spoken further about how close he came to walking away from football, before his Norwich City opportunity arrived.
Norwich City defender Christoph Zimmermann wore the captain's armband for much of last season Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
The towering centre-back revealed that he had considered going into teaching during interviews two years ago, after he was signed on a free transfer by his former Borussia Dortmund II boss Daniel Farke.
Now with a Premier League career set to begin - once he's fully recovered from minor knee surgery in the next couple of weeks - Zimmermann has revealed he could have ended up playing in the second tier in Denmark.
"Two years ago I was studying teaching," the German explained. "I was also in talks with a club in Denmark but they had just been relegated to the second league, so I wasn't thinking about that.
"I was thinking about staying in Germany and doing a serious job. I had played five years in the lower tiers in Germany, so I thought I should focus on my future.
"There were two options: study in Dortmund, which means my fiancée would have to pay the rent. Option two was Denmark but I had second thoughts about it. Then Farke texted me to find out if I had a new club.
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"Within 10 days I flew to Norwich and signed the day after. I could be starting my masters degree now - but I'm going to play in the Premier League!"
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The defender has gone on to impressive success with the Canaries, wearing the captain's armband for much of last season's Championship title success - but he admits to still occasionally feeling homesick.
Christoph Zimmermann was runner-up in Norwich City's player-of-the-season voting last season Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
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"The good thing about coming to England was that it happened so quickly. I didn't have time to think about it," he added, speaking to the Daily Mail.
"Until the age of 21, I was seeing my family everyday. FaceTime helps, but I'd be lying if I said it was easy. You get used to it - but you shouldn't get used to not seeing each other regularly."
Zimmermann got a taste for the big time during the early stages of his City career though, concluding: "When I played at Arsenal and Chelsea in the cups, I thought to myself, 'I could be in a lecture right now'. But instead I was playing in front of 50,000 at Arsenal. It was then I knew I chose the right path."
