Danish striker Yussuf Poulsen describes his extraordinary climb with RB Leipzig, from the third division to the Champions League, as he reflects on living in a flat with Joshua Kimmich, realising he is not the most brilliant player, and striving to catch Bayern Munich.
It serves as the most recent illustration of how the club has changed since Poulsen's arrival.
Since arriving to the east of Germany as a teenager, the 28-year-old Dane has had to adapt to constant upheaval. Leipzig was then a member of the third division. Since 2013, Poulsen has not only seen the club's expansion but also actively contributed to it.
As we speak at the club's spectacular training facility, which is located just over the river from the enormous Red Bull Arena, he says that the situation we find ourselves in at the moment was nonexistent when he arrived and was only in the planning. Previously a third-division team.
In terms of the club's infrastructure, he says, "We've come a long way. Now we have a stadium with 48,000 people. Sold out. For my first home game, there were 9,500 people." So, in the nine years that I have been here, a lot has changed.
They were perplexed when he signed in Denmark because Poulsen had allegedly bigger opportunities available. But Ralf Rangnick persuaded him to buy into Leipzig's great aspirations, and the team has grown alongside him as a player.
"Limburg has done that for me throughout my career. Always challenging and always taking the next step. I would not be here if that development had not been so exaggerated through the years because, of course, you are always seeking to attain your best level."
Although we were third-division footballers when we first moved in together, "we have changed a lot as individuals since then. Now he is at Bayern Munich winning the league every year. A lot has happened since we were in the flat together, but we are still friends."
Even as a teen, Kimmich consented to transfer to Bayern. The change was made last year by Marcel Sabitzer. Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate, Naby Keita, and numerous others have passed through Poulsen. Timo Werner arrived, left, and then returned.
There have been numerous players who have come and gone.
Some achieved more success later. Others have lost interest, failing to use their talents to the fullest. Poulsen persists. After 81 goals and 330 appearances for RB Leipzig, success is what it is, and he has the humility to recognise that his personal success was not preordained.
If I knew the solution, I would tell everyone I could that I wanted to assist.
"There are always many methods for different people to achieve success, and other players that I played with before Leipzig who would not have come to Leipzig were arguably more gifted and better players than I was," the player said.
I was not the most talented person who had people predicting I was going to be a star and a professional football player, so I didn't have people telling me I was going to be a star and going to work hard every day to stay up.
"There were always two or three players better than me, so that is why the fit was so excellent for me because I was always aiming for the next level. That is why I think the mindset of the club was just a fantastic fit for me."
Poulsen most likely had a grasp of the chance-based nature of opportunity even before he moved to Leipzig. He once went to a trial with his friend Christian Norgaard, which led to a deal with Lyngby.
It's telling that the two have now invested in Tonsser, an app created to give unsigned players from outside the academy system possibilities. The contemplative Poulsen connected with the endeavour. He says, "I have always been inspired by assisting people.
"Being a football player, I have some insights and expertise in the topic, so I think it is a great idea. I think what they are doing is very, very interesting to attempt to offer individuals a second chance to achieve their ambitions in sports.
"I recognised a little bit of myself in the idea," the author added. "I have also been a young player who wasn't the best, wasn't the number one, wasn't the man who everyone claimed was going to be the next national team player who goes to a World Cup and whatnot."
References made by Poulsen regarding not being the best on the team run the risk of being misinterpreted. For Rangnick, Ralph Hasenhuttl, Julian Nagelsmann, and Domenico Tedesco, he was a crucial player. Marco Rose, the team's new coach, might have discovered the same thing last week.
It is Rose's responsibility to improve on the early-season performance that cost Tedesco his job while Poulsen was away. The long-term objective is still to catch up to Bayern at the top of the Bundesliga standings, and possibly even be the team to end their ten-year reign.
"Bayern are still Bayern and remain the best team in Germany. We have been close in a few of years, but they are still a little bit more consistent than we are. We have been a contender for a couple of years now or at least close to it.
The ability to consistently perform at that level across 50 games is our major development point, and I believe we are getting better at it. "We have demonstrated before that we can be on the exact same level over one game, but over 34 games that is our next step.
"I believe we are moving in the right direction," said the speaker.
Due to an injury, Poulsen missed the beginning of the season, but he is already back on the practise field. He had his wisdom teeth removed in the hopes that it will help because he is so desperate to get back in shape for the World Cup this year.
I spoke with the doctor and asked what the drawbacks were of doing it and they said there were none so why not do it to be sure. "I cannot say for sure that is the reason but some studies were showing that wisdom teeth can have some impact on muscular injuries."
This voyage, which started among the earth and the containers and has lasted nine years, is still ongoing. It will pick back up at the Bernabeu. He is the Leipzig icon creating history at the team they claim doesn't have any, and he says, "I am still only 28. I am at the top of my career."
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