Lee Johnson’s side strengthened their goalkeeping department with the 22-year-old’s addition on a season-long loan deal from Bayern Munich on the final day of the summer transfer window.
Hoffmann moved to Wearside with a view to gaining first team experience, but he formed a connection with the club when he walked out to make his debut for the side against Accrington last month.
The Bayern Munich loan star made his debut for Sunderland in front of a packed Stadium of Light, which he felt was buzzing and full of raw emotions.
Hoffmann explained that he understood the real essence of football during his debut against Accrington and went on to reveal that was the moment when he realised Sunderland is where he wants to be.
“As if painted, the day before my mother’s birthday is the top game against Accrington in our own stadium“, Hoffmann wrote in his column for German magazine Kicker.
“First against second. The whole stadium is singing and shaking.
“I’m in the starting line-up and it’s only now that I understand why this is real football, every cliche is true.
“This isn’t the Netflix series ‘Sunderland Till I Die’, but that’s exactly why it was shot.
“This is beer, not bubbly, this is English football and not the Champions League, there are so many and so real emotions, and at that very moment I knew – ‘I did it right, I want to be right here and now, in this team, this stadium, with and for these people’.
“And, oh yes, we won the game 2-1 and remained first.“
Hoffmann has established himself as a regular starter for Sunderland since joining on loan in the summer and will be hopeful of keeping his place as Johnson’s first-choice goalkeeper.
