Ademola Lookman drops into a seat after another high-energy session on the immaculate surfaces of the RB Leipzig training centre and admits there were doubts.
His progress has not always been smooth and his development has not been conventional in the eyes of modern elite football.
He recalls the 'bunch of brothers' from the Waterloo club in London, where he played until the age of 16 and pitches 'full of leaves, with a slope and potholes'. He thanks his 'mentors' Des and Felix for their faith because they never gave up hope.
'Even at times when I thought I couldn't do it,' says Lookman. 'Sometimes I'd think maybe it won't work out for me. And they'd quickly be like, "what are you talking about? God's given you this talent for a reason, don't ever give up on it".'
He didn't give up. He seized his chance when it came and has become a £20m footballer under the instruction of Julian Nagelsmann, one of the most in-demand young coaches in Europe.
He is at a fiercely ambitious club with cutting-edge facilities close to the Red Bull Arena and eyes locked on the prize of their first Bundesliga title.
'This is my stage now,' smiles Lookman. He talks in the way he plays. Quick off the mark. Sometimes his rapid bursts are finished with a flourish, but not always.
He can drop his shoulder and change direction from football — where he cites Robinho, Cristiano Ronaldo and Eden Hazard among his influences and Idrissa Gueye as the best he's played with — to more cerebral matters.
There is his appetite to learn. He has three German lessons a week with other English speakers, including Welshman Ethan Ampadu, on loan at Leipzig for the season from Chelsea.
He enjoys biographies and documentaries about the lives of famous people, studies speeches by the actor Denzel Washington and the book he is reading is about ego.
This latest chapter of his own life is one of adventure and exploration. There is a brief digression as he and a club official try to recall if it was squid or octopus they were served in the canteen last week.
'I'm eating things I didn't know I would have eaten,' he concludes. 'I miss my mum's cooking but she comes here and she brings the goods. You know, African food, all types of food.'
Lookman is savouring the experience of his second spell in Leipzig, even though it has not started in the same spectacular fashion as his first.
In January 2018 he defied Everton boss Sam Allardyce and rejected a loan move to Derby in favour of one to Germany and proved an instant hit when he scored the winner on his debut against Borussia Monchengladbach.
'Just a leap of faith,' says Lookman. 'I didn't come here to prove him wrong. I came here for myself. I knew I'd made the right decision. I always back myself. I know what I'm capable of doing.
'Whether it was in England, Germany, Spain or wherever, it's not a problem for me. Football's football, right?'
That goal made him the first Englishman to score in the Bundesliga since Owen Hargreaves in 2005 and he ended the loan spell with five goals and four assists in 11 appearances.
'It was successful and this time it will be even more successful,' says Lookman, who describes the decision to return as a 'no brainer' after another unfulfilling season at Goodison Park under former manager Marco Silva.
He was primarily substitute, starting only three Premier League games last season and scoring one goal, in the FA Cup against Lincoln. When Leipzig came back with the offer of a five-year contract, Everton agreed a fee worth up to £22.5m for a player they signed from Charlton for £11m in January 2017.
'It's different the second time,' says Lookman. 'It's a permanent move, so I'm here. This is my home. This is where I've come to do good things and help the team. First time around was a leap of faith but this time it's more like go time.'
Germany has become a fashionable destination for several young British players including Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund and Rabbi Matondo at Schalke.
'Opportunity, that's what it is,' says Lookman. 'People will go anywhere if there's opportunity. Everyone's journey is different. Ultimately everyone's got to make a decision and hopefully it's the right one.'
Leipzig had moved on in his 12-month absence. They are not a club for wasting time. They have risen from the fifth tier of German football to the Champions League since they were formed in 2009.
They are a point behind Bundesliga leaders Monchengladbach as Nagelsmann prepares for Saturday's reunion with Hoffenheim, the team he left in the summer.
'He's a young manager, full of energy,' says Lookman. 'All about intensity, playing with speed. Definitely the word I hear most from him is intensity, especially if I have the ball. It's his drive and passion. He's hungry. I can see that.'
Nagelsmann has identified Lookman's defensive discipline as an area of his game that needs improvement.
While his upbringing in street football in South London and the Sunday League circuit might have enabled his natural talent on the ball to develop freely, he admits there are gaps in his education.
'There are some things I'd love to have learned,' says Lookman. 'Tactically there are things I'm not too sure about and I would definitely have learned that inside an academy.
'But I was still getting coached. There wasn't a time when I wasn't getting coached. And I was playing with friends so it was cool.'
He is not deterred by having featured in only four games under the 32-year-old coach. 'It's about adapting to a new team and I have to do that again,' says Lookman. 'Keep working hard. That's all I can do. The team is very strong. We're serious. We're not up there for no reason.
'We all know what our jobs are. If we keep working hard and don't lose sight, we'll be fine. But my time will come. I'm sure of that.'
At 22, he is also conscious of a big decision looming on his international future.
He has represented England from Under 19 to Under 21 and was a key part of the team which won the Under 20 World Cup in 2017. He is also eligible for Nigeria and has an eye on the World Cup in 2022.
'It's a competition I'd like to play in, for sure,' says Lookman.
'That's definitely something I need to address. I'm open and it's good to have different opportunities. It's a serious decision.
'We'll see. International football is a big thing if you want to keep progressing, which I do.'