Hummels blames weight issues for poor season

Borussia Dortmund captain Mats Hummels is raring to go for the new season after a below-par 2014-15 campaign that he put down to struggling with his weight.

Dortmund scraped to a seventh-place finish last term, having spent several weeks at the bottom of the table as they failed to recapture their best from under Jurgen Klopp.

The charismatic Klopp announced he would leave the club at the end of last season in April and has subsequently been replaced by Thomas Tuchel.

Having shunned apparent interest from Manchester United to remain at Signal Iduna Park, Hummels is now focused on playing a key role in Dortmund's continued recovery.

He told Kicker: "The first half of last season was probably the worst I have ever played in my life.

"I felt very sluggish and looked very sluggish. My weight was a catastrophe for me. Eating became a vice for me, and because of my frustrations, I fell into a vicious circle.

"Now my weight is significantly lower and I'm in very different shape to 2014.

"We [Hummels and Tuchel] had a conversation when I was still thinking about my future. I liked what he had to say very much, and also the way he has gone about things.

"There were days when I would have gone and days where I wanted to stay. If I move, I must be 100 per cent convinced, I must know that it fits on all levels.

"That is not the case this year."