Gregory Wüthrich has received his first national team call-up. On his first day as a national team player, the central defender talks about a decisive step in his career: his move from YB to Perth in Australia.
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- Gregory Wüthrich is the only newcomer to the first Nati squad since the European Championship.
- At the media conference, the former YB junior talks about his career to date and explains why the move to Australia was a turning point for him.
- At 29, Wüthrich is both a rookie and a veteran. He could make his national team debut on Thursday. Switzerland will then face Denmark away from home in the Nations League opener.
It's never too late to become an international. Gregory Wüthrich is an impressive example of this. The central defender celebrates his 30th birthday in three months' time. He has now received his first national team call-up. "A dream come true," beamed the central defender on Monday at his first media appearance as an international.
The call-up did not come as a complete surprise. Wüthrich is an absolute top performer at Austrian double winners Sturm Graz. He had been in contact with Murat Yakin in the past, but not recently. He was therefore delighted when he received a call from the national team coach last week.
Five years ago, there was not much to suggest that Wüthrich would one day become an international. At YB, he rarely got beyond the role of a supplementary player - partly due to knee problems and other injuries - which is why the Bernese player decided to make a bold career move in September 2019: he moved to Perth Glory in Australia.
The "important step" to the other side of the world
"It was a very important experience in my life. Before that, I had a difficult time at YB and had to deal with setbacks time and again. In Australia, I was able to clear my head and regain confidence in my body," explains Wüthrich.
However, the adventure ended abruptly after six months - due to the coronavirus pandemic. "I then moved to Sturm Graz. With a much better feeling in my body. Australia was a very important step for me." The former YB junior left the nest he had made to take on a new challenge. "One step back sometimes takes you two steps forward," says Wüthrich.
In the meantime, the tall central defender has taken several steps forward. After the surprising championship title with Sturm Graz, he is now playing in the Champions League, facing Borussia Dortmund and Europa League winners Atalanta Bergamo, among others. Another dream come true for Wüthrich.
