It all began on the streets of the small town of Jaslo and has taken him to the Polish national team. On a walk through a park in Kleßheim by our stadium, Kamil Piatkowski provided us in our Salzburger Halbzeit series with insights into his rise, his feelings before proposing to his partner, Julia, and his drive to improve - while also telling us why his tattoos were once a diversionary tactic.

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Kamil's path has not always been easy, with serious setbacks and important lessons in recent years - but this season the defensive enforcer appears to have finally settled in Salzburg, due in no small part to the recent engagement with the love of his life that he met in Austria after joining us.

"I was extremely nervous - there were definitely more nerves than what I feel before a Champions League match. That's only logical, as I've played a few times in the Champions League now, but I had never proposed before," said a grinning Kamil.

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"I'm not normally the greatest romantic and can't always do these kind of things well. I think I did a good job of it though. We were stood on the beach, and I was so overwhelmed by the excitement that I couldn't get a word out for a short moment. I managed to get myself together and get the question out, and there were tears in my eyes. It was definitely one of the greatest moments of my life!"

It is not yet confirmed when the wedding bells will ring out for Kamil and Julia. One complication is our packed schedule for the season with the expanded UEFA Champions League and Club World Cup, but Kamil is happy to be a part of it.

I know I have my strengths on the pitch and also my weaknesses, which I work on every day.

"After my loan in the spring to Granada, I didn't know at the beginning of the summer what the future would bring. I was open to everything, and it was important to me to place my full focus on my work - playing football. I can now say I'm very happy to be here in Salzburg. With the new coach, we were all given a fresh start. I know I have my strengths on the pitch and also my weaknesses, which I work on every day."

The 24-year-old has learnt a lot since joining our Red Bulls in 2021 - and some of that has been literally painful, with a broken ankle just one of the injuries keeping him out.

"Health is the most important thing for me. That has not always been easy for me. I have needed to adjust one thing or the other in my life, and I am paying attention now to my sleep and nutrition as well as drinking enough water and taking on the right nutrients. On my arrival in Salzburg, my mindset wasn't as professional as it is now - which is only logical. I was young and didn't know anything yet."

If I think back to my childhood, football is the first thing that comes to mind!

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Football always seemed like Kamil's destiny, with his love for the game making any other career out of the question! What would he have been, had he never made it as a professional? The defensive specialist can't answer that. His father and uncle both played in the Polish third tier, after all. Young Kamil took his first steps on the way to becoming a pro himself on the streets of Jaslo.

"If I think back to my childhood, football is the first thing that comes to mind! I wasn't always a good child, especially when it came to school. I was very lively, liked having fun and had good friends. We played football more or less every day.
There was a little pitch right in front of our house, and from the age of eight, I was playing there every day with a dozen other kids - who were mostly older than me.
I didn't join a club until I played a school tournament at the age of ten, and a little later I started a sports school - things went relatively quickly from there."

While his footballing journey took him from Karpaty, Lubin and Rakow to us, the defender developed another big passion. It's clear to see as soon as you watch Kamil that he loves tattoos! There is no need to dig for any special significance or meaning to his body art though - the versatile footballer says they are about one thing only, style.

In reality, I'm a really nice guy – just not to opposing attackers, of course.

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"I got my first tattoo done when I was 16 years old. My father was really mad about it, but allowed it and even came with me to the appointment - after I spent a few days talking him into it. He thought at the time that it would be the only tattoo I would get - but that hasn't been the case, and I'm sorry for that! Everyone always tells me that it makes me look like a bad guy. In reality, I'm a really nice guy - just not to opposing attackers, of course," Kamil says on his appearance, which has another unique characteristic.

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"I was born with a small special feature on my upper lip. I was missing a bit of skin on part of it, and the doctors had to transplant some from another part of my body. Thankfully I've never really had any issues with it mentally, as I had a really good environment growing up. I know these days that things can be different for children, and I appreciate even more what I had, as a consequence. It's something you always carry psychologically, though. I asked myself a few years ago if all the tattoos around my body were not a tactic to divert attention from there. That's definitely not the case these days though."

The fact our centre-back has the nickname Piona – which equates to an invitation to a high five in Polish – hints at his incredible workrate, which he is hoping will lead him to great things in the coming days and months!

"To be able to play for my national team again and represent my club in the UEFA Champions League is an incredible feeling after all the efforts, and they both give me a huge amount of pride as they are dreams come true for me! It might sound like a throwaway phrase, but it's true that you have to give 100% in every training session. I would now like to play my part in taking as many wins as possible again and succeeding."

The steely defender with a big heart