Isaac Schmidt's call-up to the national team came as a surprise not only to the whole of Switzerland, but also to the Leeds player himself. It's wonderful how he talks about Murat Yakin's phone call.
The first national team call-up is always special. Isaac Schmidt will probably never forget this moment either. When asked about it, the 25-year-old starts talking. He says: "I had a call from an unknown Swiss number," Schmidt recounts and laughs: "I said hello. And then someone spoke to me in German. I thought it was a player's agent. So I asked who it was."
"Wow, Murat Yakin! There were a lot of emotions..."
He describes the moment when he realized it was the national team coach himself: "I thought: Wow! Murat Yakin. There were a lot of emotions at that moment."
He wasn't expecting this call, he says. How could he, given that he hasn't played at all for Leeds United in recent weeks. But he doesn't have to justify this call-up; before his move to England, he regularly delivered at FC St. Gallen. His pacey runs down the flanks are currently sorely missed at Kybunpark.
The fact that he himself was surprised to be called up doesn't mean that he hasn't earned it. Schmidt can defend on both sides. Where is he more comfortable? "I like playing on both sides. I can dribble better on the left and cross better on the right," he says.
He doesn't play for Leeds United
Schmidt: "The national team coach can call up the players he wants. I'm here now and will give it my all." He has already done that at FC St. Gallen and is now doing the same every day at Leeds United. He is not yet playing in the league. His motto: stay calm and go full throttle. "We're top of the table, what can I say?" Schmidt has signed a contract until summer 2028.
