It's one of those April mornings when spring truly arrives in Salzburg. As we climb the steps from Steingasse towards Kapuzinerberg with Yorbe Vertessen, the city practically bursts into bloom – and so does the Belgian's smile.

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Suddenly, a dog approaches us, and Yorbe greets it cheerfully: "I love dogs, it's in my blood," he tells us, as the four-legged friend continues on its way. At his parents' house, there are dogs everywhere - three currently, and his brother has one as well. Yorbe himself is seriously considering getting his own furry companion with his girlfriend: "We'd love a dachshund. One of those would be perfect because you can take it everywhere, even if you're often out and about."

Getting out and about was something Yorbe became familiar with before he even finished school. Since he started playing at the PSV Eindhoven academy at a young age, he had to cross the border into the Netherlands every day from his Belgian hometown of Rillaar. Each way involved over an hour's drive to training, with the Vertessen family diligently taking turns driving him several times a week. "Most of the time I had to do my homework in the back seat. But I often just fell asleep," Yorbe admits with a laugh.

The fact that he's now playing as a striker for us is thanks to a gentle nudge from his parents. As a child, Yorbe had to choose between striker and goalkeeper, as he played both positions for a while. "They finally pushed me to stick with being a striker," he recalls. The last time the redhead stood between the posts? "That was in Qatar," he replies without hesitation.

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"Have you by any chance seen the video of the penalty I saved? It went viral," he says with a grin. It was a knockout match at an U17 tournament, and it was already the last minute of stoppage time when the opposing team were awarded a penalty to give them the chance to level. The PSV goalkeeper had also been sent off with a red card. "The coach then put me in goal, and I saved the penalty." He's clearly retained the goalkeeper's instinct, even if he prefers to be on the other side of the equation these days.

As spectacular as this foray between the posts was, our attacking player found his true calling at the opposite end of the pitch. Around a year later, he proved his finishing prowess at the U17 European Championship, where he finished as the tournament's top scorer. "It's always great to receive such an honour," he reflects. A similar title was recently earned by our young Red Bull Johannes Moser, who was crowned top scorer at the U17 World Cup.

Yorbe sees such successes primarily as a mental boost for the future: "I think it's something you should enjoy and that gives you confidence." He advises Johannes to take his success as motivation: "You just have to keep working hard, then you'll see that you can achieve other aims too."

I joined a great group there, which was truly like a family.

Yorbe demonstrated this same tenacity during his transfer to Union Berlin, which turned into a real transfer saga. After already saying goodbye to PSV and landing in Berlin, Eindhoven suddenly wanted to cancel the deal. Since he wasn't yet officially allowed to train with the team in Berlin, he pursued his own programme and made a statement that achieved cult status among Union fans: he shared his private runs from the Strava app on Instagram. When the transfer finally went through, he quickly settled into the German metropolis, even if it was a bit too big for his liking.

"I joined a great group there, which was truly like a family." He developed a particularly good relationship with Brenden Aaronson during this time. However, there was a slight disappointment on the pitch, as he didn't get the playing time he had hoped for. Nevertheless, he retains a fondness for the club, saying: "I still follow them. Not every game, but I keep at it, also because I still have friends there."

I'm more of a freelancer within the team and wouldn't assign myself to any particular group.

In the Red Bulls' dressing room, Yorbe is often called El Tigre these days, a nickname given to him by Aleksa Terzic. The reason wasn't his hunting instinct in front of goal, nor his reddish hair, but rather his fashion sense at the time: "It comes from my shoes. I once had some with a subtle tiger print." Within the team, he sees himself taking a special role, as he already brings a wealth of experience despite his young age.

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"At 25, I'm already one of the older players on our team, or at least that's how it feels. I'm more of a freelancer within the team and wouldn't assign myself to any particular group," he says, describing his position within the team structure.

In the current phase of the season, where our lads' performances haven't always gone as planned, Yorbe is showing a very reflective side. He knows that fans are dissatisfied when results don't come – and he himself suffers the most in those moments. After defeats, he deliberately seeks solitude: "If I'm not playing well, I can be really difficult. I can be quite brusque," he openly admits. "The best way to remain my friend is to let me do my own thing in those moments. I just need to be by myself," says the usually cheerful Belgian.

To cope with the pressure of being a striker, he worked with a mental coach for several years starting when he was 17 and still uses meditation or special breathing techniques "when things get tough."

Despite the current challenges, his focus remains clear. He doesn't hide behind platitudes but critically examines his performance so far. His closing statement at the end of our walk makes it clear that he is by no means satisfied with his current situation: "At the beginning of the season, I set myself a target for how many goals I wanted to score. I'm not quite there yet. It's not going good enough for me right now."

Yorbe Vertessen: El Tigre with an eye for goals and a natural calm