Lurking in the background – for the moment – at reigning German Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund, are two of Australia’s best and brightest. Goalkeeper Mitch Langerak is understudy to Dortmund’s number one, Roman Weidenfeller, but continues to make a huge impression ahead of his third Bundesliga campaign.

Fellow youngster and ex A-League star Mustafa Amini is the newcomer, though his vibrant character – and hairstyle – has him being likened to German animated character “Pumuckl”. Cult hero status beckons.

In the 1990s, Socceroo Ned Zelic was a favourite son at the Westfalenstadion. Now  Langerak is turning heads as the club eyes a future number one.

“Mitch Langerak, I don’t know if there’s a better Australian goalkeeper,” says head coach Jürgen Klopp.  “We are pretty satisfied with what he did in the last two years. Very satisfied about the fact that he has a contract for, I don’t know, the next ten years – something like this!”

Similarly, the man who works every day with the former Victory keeper, Wolfgang ‘Teddy’ de Beer, reckons the Queenslander has what it takes.

“It’s very easy to work with Mitch,” he says. “Normally, in Germany we have a lot of good, young goalkeepers but I saw something special in Mitch and in the time we’ve worked together, I can say, it was the right thing I saw. I never saw a goalkeeper this young so straight – training at the same level every day for two years, it’s unbelievable how strong he is.

“I cannot remember a [training] day he was bad, it’s unbelievable,” he says. “I think in other clubs, he is for sure the number one. I don’t know, next year or the year after, but he will be a number one and I think, when he is a number one, he is the number one of Australia, that is his way.”

Klopp is also keen on Amini – who scored on his debut for the first-team in
a pre-season friendly – but plays down expectations.

“A young player, a talented player but he has to learn many things and I’m sure we can help him to be the best he can be. But I think it’s a long and hard way because we have many big talents – it’s the best club for him to feel well in this team,” he says.

“Everything is okay,” adds Klopp of this Aussie twosome. “They are the best ambassadors for their country that you can have. We love these two guys.”

Before Dortmund began its quest for a Bundesliga three-peat, we met with the pair to learn about life in black and yellow.

Talk us through being at a club like this?
Langerak: To be honest, the first couple of weeks were very daunting. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. It was scary. But after you get out there and show that you can play football, the boys, they respect you. It’s really phenomenal to play here, it’s a privilege and every day you come through the gates you know you’ve got to work hard because opportunities to play at big clubs don’t come regularly.

Amini: My heart stopped – it was crazy. I was called in, from the second team, and I never had a [squad] number with the second team or anything and then I came to the change rooms and I see 28 there and there’s my jersey with my number on it, a Dortmund jersey – a first team jersey – it was unbelievable.

What about your first sheva with Götze, Subotic, Lewandowski and co?
Langerak: It was a bit scary and obviously I’m not the best sheva player in the world!  It’s like anywhere... when I first got to Melbourne Victory I couldn’t believe I was playing with Archie Thompson and Kevin Muscat and players like that. You get used to the pace and things like that and it doesn’t take long for you to start enjoying your football.

Amini: It’s all fun, it’s amazing. I’m in the change rooms with Subotic, who’s an international and I’m playing with the likes of [Sebastian] Kehl. Players who have Ferraris and R8s and I’m here and training with them, I’m one of them. Hopefully I can become what they are one day. You’ve got Jürgen Klopp here – one of the best coaches in the world for young players. It’s just unbelievable.

The players’ car park must be one of the most impressive you’ve seen?
Amini: It’s crazy. The Audi R8s and the Ferraris are my dream cars, I’m there parking next to them. It shows that if you work hard and give it everything you got, you can make it. You’ve got the chance, you’ve got the facilities, you’ve got everything here, so there’s no reason why you can’t.

How hard does a footballer have to work to be a Dortmund player?
Langerak: As a footballer, you can never do too much work. Kevin Muscat used to always say that it doesn’t matter how good a footballer you are, if you’re going to work, the cream will always rise and you’ll always get your chance. That’s something I always take. I work as hard as I can.

Amini: The first four weeks we had training, double sessions, and we had a tournament, seven on seven. It was a pretty big field, everyone was pressing and I wasn’t used to this kind of stuff. Every time you lost the ball, you’d have to sprint back and I was dead. I was finished. The training is crazy. At the end of the day you get fit and you’re happy when you go to sleep and when you’re waking up, you’re feeling good.

Mitch, talk us through your debut for Dortmund at the Allianz Arena against Bayern Munich, no less?
Langerak: That was my debut so I probably couldn’t tell you what I was thinking at that time. I was a bit nervous, but that’s normal, I’m nervous before any game. You do your best whether you’re playing in front of 200 people or 70-80,000 people – it doesn’t matter because you’re playing for yourself and you’re playing for your family and the people that have supported you all the way.

How does it compare at the Westfalenstadion?
Langerak: Honestly, it’s phenomenal. Every week there’s 82,000 people in there; you can’t get a ticket to the games. The atmosphere that the fans create is world class. To actually play out there and to see it week-in, week-out, it really makes your hairs on the back stand up.

Since your arrival, Dortmund have won two titles and a German Cup. What do you remember of the celebrations and what chance is there of a third consecutive title?
Langerak: The parade we had through the city after we won the double this year was… it was world class, I can’t even explain. There were people everywhere on the streets, I couldn’t put a number on it but it took our bus five or six hours just to go five kms through the city, it was really crazy. It’s amazing what we’ve got together here and it’s important that we can stay together, continue this run we’re on and just continue to build.

What’s it like having Musti at the club?
Langerak: He’s a funny guy, he’s always smiling, always laughing. It’s good for me to be able to talk to him in English and have a bit of a joke in Australian slang and things like that. Hopefully he has a really big season. He’s a good player, a very sharp player and I’m looking forward to seeing how he does.

Musti has yet to experience a German winter, what’s awaiting him?
Langerak: I’ve gotten used to it, you rug up properly – I probably wear more gear than the rest of the boys. Once you’ve warmed up it’s fine, but the first 10-15 minutes you’re thinking, ‘what am I doing here in this European winter?’, but afterwards you get on with it. It’s not so bad.

Finally, gents, what are your expectations for the season?
Amini: Just training is a privilege for me. Coming from the A-League to a world class team in the [UEFA] Champions League and all that kind of stuff, they could be playing against Barcelona or Real Madrid, you never know. Just training with the boys and learning as much as I can.

Langerak: You’ve just got to know what you want in your head and work towards that every day. I’m the number two and I’m pushing every day to work harder alongside Roman Weidenfeller, who is a fantastic keeper. When chances come it’s important to be ready and to step up.