stˈɪl ɪn hɪz tˈiːnz hiː mˈuːvd tə dʒˈɜːməni ænd dʒˈɔɪnd vˌiːˈɛf bˈiː stˈʌtɡɑːɹt, bˌʌt ɐpˈɪɹd ɛksklˈuːsɪvli fɚðə ɹɪzˈɜːvz dˈʊɹɹɪŋ hɪz θɹˈiːjˈɪɹ spˈɛl.
Still in his teens he moved to Germany and joined VfB Stuttgart, but appeared exclusively for the reserves during his three-year spell.