Jonathan Tah has been almost constantly in the spotlight in recent months. The Bayer Leverkusen centre-back’s contract is up at the end of the season and Barcelona are assuming he will join them on a free contract, although he has also been linked with a move to Real Madrid, where his international team-mate and friend Antonio Rüdiger plays.

In an interview with Goal, the defender, although he has not given any clues about his future, has explained the “mind games” he is playing with Rüdiger - the man nicknamed the madman (El Loco) at his club and in the Mannschaft.

Rüdiger‘s mind games

“There are always things you can learn from, I look to see who could be doing certain things better than me. When I look at Rüdiger and his mind games, I celebrate them, they are unpleasant for all opponents. And these are things you can definitely adapt to your own game,” the centre-back began by saying.

" I know how repugnant it is for a striker to constantly have the feeling that someone is breathing on your neck or saying something in your ear."

The German also claims that he has realized the importance of the various different strategies that the Real Madrid defender uses to put rival players out of the game.

Making life as difficult as possible for opponents

“I don’t imitate him, but I know how repugnant it is for a striker to constantly have the feeling that someone is breathing on your neck or saying something in your ear. I know it’s disgusting. Toni does it perfectly. And of course, you carry it with you and you do it too. It’s not that I have copied him, but it makes you more aware of these things when you see him do it and he is more and more successful. And then you think: ‘maybe I can do it more’.”

Both centre-backs have got on very well since coming together in the national team and have earned the trust of all the coaches who have been at the helm - including the the latest, Julian Nagelsmann. Their opponents, especially forwards, have suffered - not only because of their defensive solvency, but also because of their ability to take them out of the game. A quality that they “aspire to improve every day”.

Asked if he feels sorry for the forwards they face, Tah was blunt in his response: “Not at all! I think it’s really been horrible for all the forwards we’ve faced together. When I play next to Toni, I know I have a crazy guy on my side. So since I’m crazy too, together we make the forwards have a really tough time.”