Sheraldo Becker is having an exceptional season at his club Union Berlin. The quick attacker, who was once considered not good enough for the Ajax first and spent years in the Eredivisie for PEC Zwolle and ADO Den Haag, is the Bundesliga leaders’ top scorer this season. “It’s hard to grasp. Due to the busy schedule, I can’t really enjoy it yet.”

The 27-year-old from Amsterdam went through Ajax’s youth academy but never made a first-team debut. He was leased to PEC Zwolle for a year and a half in January 2015 and landed at ADO Den Haag in the summer of 2016. He played there for three years. In his Eredivisie years, Becker was considered a dangerous but courageous (wing) striker.

At Union Berlin, the illustrious club from the east of the German capital, they saw something in Becker. In 2019 he went to Germany on a free transfer.

This year, Union rose to the Bundesliga for the first time. In East Germany, Union played at the highest level, in the DDR-Oberliga, but after the fall of the Wall and German reunification, there was a long and difficult road to the top of German football. Since 2019, the club has made an unprecedented rise to the highest competition with Becker.

While upkeep was the goal, Union placed 11th in their inaugural season. In the following years, European football prevailed. Union played against Feyenoord in the group stage of the Conference League last year. Union are active in the Europa League this year and are four points behind number two Bayern Munich on home soil, the club that have been German champions for the last ten seasons.

Maybe next year Union, who also have Dutchman Danilho Doekhi under contract, will play with all the other big boys in the Champions League. Becker is not looking that far ahead. “Getting forty points is the goal. Holding is important.”

(H) Recognition in the city

It sounds a bit modest. Perhaps a bit too modest, because if even former top German midfielder Michael Ballack believes in the league title, then you have to admit that Union are working on something special.

And Becker admits that indirectly. “I get recognized more often in the city now. People want to be photographed with me on a regular basis.” It is one of the signs that Union is the football club of Berlin at the moment. An honor previously reserved for the wealthier Hertha BSC from the west and Dynamo Berlin, the club that dominated East German football in the 1980s with help from the SED and Stasi.

Becker’s popularity also points to his changed status. Where he played little and scored no goals in his first season for Union, things went much better in the following years. Becker seems to be coming into his own this season, with six goals in his first ten league games. Becker names his trainer Urs Fischer as the key to success.

The Swiss was appointed Union coach in 2018 and has built a squad that Becker says works hard for each other. “Every team works hard, but we always run more than the opponent. We know that we can and must do the dirty yards. The coach knows what he wants and we’ve been doing that for years. At a certain point, it’s in your system.” Fischer also made Becker more goal-oriented.

The Dutch national team, which plays with two forwards under national coach Louis van Gaal, is a team that suits Becker’s style of play perfectly. If it weren’t for the fact that he can no longer play for Orange. Although Becker played for the representative youth teams of the Netherlands, he opted for an international career on behalf of Suriname.

This means that he will not take part in the World Cup next winter. Becker says he doesn’t regret his choice for Suriname. “I made my choice and I stand behind it.” He therefore hopes to continue his success story in shirts other than the Orange shirt. Becker feels like he’s just started his career. “Although I’m on the right track.”

Becker’s good form is also due to the fact that he is happy in Berlin. Even if he had to get used to his new surroundings at first. “The language was different, I had to get used to the intensity of training and then I couldn’t do anything with friends anymore. That was difficult. I talked a lot with the coach and took my chance when I had the chance. That’s all about mindset.”

“Now I enjoy it. Berlin is a kind of Amsterdam for me, but on a larger scale. What you can do in Amsterdam, you can also do here. You have good restaurants here, a zoo, Legoland, you have everything.” The children go to school here and we have friends here,” Becker continued.

So it sounds as if Becker would never leave the German capital again. Also because he feels loved by the fans of his club. “I don’t follow the messages, but I do get some updates every now and then. The public is happy for me, especially when I extended my contract.”

However, it is by no means certain whether Becker will remain in Berlin in the coming season. “I would like to take the next step. Whether in Germany or England. You have a lot of nice clubs in the Bundesliga and the Premier League.”