SCHALKE FAN TO FAN FAVOURITE

STEVEN Skrzybski used to sleep in Schalke bedding as a boy and also went to school with a knapsack of the royal blues. Now he has become a fan favourite himself at the Gelsenkirchen club with a brace in his first start for them - and could also play a role today when Schalke aim to clinch a place in the last 16 of the Champions League at Porto.

Skrzybski, 26, came to Schalke in summer from second division Union in his birth town of Berlin, having scored 14 goals in the past campaign.

Until Saturday, he had only six minutes of playing time, but injuries to first choice forwards Mark Uth and Breel Embolo were one of the reasons coach Domenico Tedesco decided to give him a chance in the starting 11 alongside Guido Burgstaller.

Skrzybski made the most of it as his two goals helped Schalke beat Nuremberg 5-2, their biggest win of the season and the five goals in 90 minutes coming after just eight overall in the previous 11 league matches.

“It was an amazing day, I’m ecstatic that we won. The three points are massively important for us in our current situation. Scoring two goals is the icing on the cake. The boss put his faith in me and I wanted to repay him,” he said. “Despite the two goals, there are still things that I could have done better. I’ll work hard on myself so that today isn’t just a one-off.”

Tedesco praised Skrzybski, saying: “He always gives his all in training and he’s a great guy. He’s got a great mentality and makes a lot of runs from deep.”

The coach also said said that the Skrzybski/Burgstaller pairing “definitely remains an option” for upcoming games and Skrzybski said “I am curious about the match plan for Porto.”