Beste explains Freiburg move

Towards the end of the winter transfer window, former Heidenheim winger Jan-Niklas Beste sealed his return to the Bundesliga by joining Freiburg from Benfica in a reported €8 million deal.

The 26-year-old has now explained his decision, telling Kicker:

"We had a few conversations beforehand and I also had (former Heidenheim teammate) Eren Dinkci as a contact person, so I could ask one or two things. But after the first meeting with the people in charge and the coach, I knew it was a good fit for me from a sporting point of view.

"It was also extremely important for me to have this family atmosphere in my private life again, this peace that you appreciate in a completely different way when you've been somewhere else."

The former Heidenheim man made his Freiburg debut against his former club on Saturday, coming on as a late substitute in his side's 1-0 win.

“Of course I can only report on the first week and the first home game, but looking back it was the right decision and I'm very happy to be here.”