Hegeler Relishing Tour Of England

A spell of four away games out of five will see City face Derby County, Leeds United, Newcastle United and Aston Villa at venues with a combined capacity of over 160,000.

But the German midfielder believes his new team-mates have nothing to fear after returning to winning ways against Rotherham United at Ashton Gate last time out.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Hegeler told Bristol City Player HD. “For me, everything is interesting because I have never played in these stadiums or the different parts of England.

“I’ve never played against these players, so it’s all new for me and an exciting challenge.

“Every game is different. We have the quality and, after the win against Rotherham, we have the confidence too. I’m really optimistic we can get something out of the Derby game.

“The mood is a bit better and everybody feels a bit freer. I hope we can keep that atmosphere and get good results in the next games.”

The 29-year-old admits there has been an adjustment to make to fit into the English style of play, having spent his entire career in Germany prior to his January switch.

“It is a different way of playing the game,” he explained. “You want to have the ball in the box as quickly as possible so there is a lot of action in the game. It’s interesting to watch.

“My team-mates are really trying to help me and the city is nice. Even the weather is not as bad as I expected! I really like it here.”