Vitaly Janelt has opened up on life at Brentford after earning his first senior Germany call-up at the age of 28.
Vitaly Janelt has spent almost six years in England, played more Premier League games for Brentford than anyone else and is finally part of the senior Germany squad. He still enjoys being able to go about his life in West London without attracting too much attention.
The 28-year-old received his first senior call-up this month after starting the season with two goals in five Premier League games. It is another step in a Brentford career which began when he arrived from Bochum in October 2020 and quickly became part of the side that won promotion from the Championship.
Recognition with Germany has taken longer. Janelt won the European Under-21 Championship in 2021 and had represented his country throughout the age groups, but a senior call had never arrived before Jürgen Klopp selected him for the current Nations League fixtures.
None of that seems to have changed what Janelt likes about his day-to-day life at Brentford.
"I always like to say it, I actually love it," Janelt said. "People leave me alone. I can play my football there. I feel very comfortable there in West London."
He went a little further when discussing his own profile.
"At the end of the day, it's pretty cool to still be unknown," he added.
Janelt is hardly an unknown quantity inside the Bees squad. He became the first player in the club's history to reach 150 Premier League appearances in January and signed another contract later that month, keeping him in West London until 2030 with an option for a further year.
By then he had made 216 appearances in all competitions. Brentford had paid around £500,000 to bring him across from the German second tier in 2020, and he has been there throughout the club's rise from the Championship into an established Premier League side.
His importance has carried into this season. Janelt has completed all 450 minutes of Brentford's opening five league matches, scoring twice as Keith Andrews' side have gone into the international break unbeaten.
Germany is a different challenge. Janelt is one of the older players in Klopp's second group of the international window and admitted there has been plenty to take in during his first senior camp. Training time is limited, with much of the early work focused on how Klopp wants the side to operate with and without the ball.
Janelt believes the aggressive approach suits him. He spoke about Klopp's record at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool before turning to what he could offer if he gets his opportunity.
"My football is aggressive against the ball," he said. "I think I can cover the guys in front of me and do the so-called dirty work for them.
"But I also have one or two qualities with the ball. I think I'm a good team player. I try to communicate a lot on the pitch and I think that could help the team."
That description is not far removed from the role he has filled for Brentford over the years. Janelt has moved around midfield when required and has also filled in elsewhere, but his reliability has been a constant. Andrews described his value to the dressing room and the club's culture as "huge" when the Germany squad was announced.
A first cap is now the one thing missing from the week. Janelt acknowledged there is not much time to force his way into the side and that the two matches will ultimately determine whether he gets on the pitch. If not, his view was simple: return to Brentford and make sure he keeps giving Klopp a reason to look again.
Germany face Serbia and Greece before Janelt returns to West London, where the Bees' Premier League season resumes against Aston Villa on October 10.
