Derby County’s Kamil Jozwiak is determined to make his mark on this summer’s UEFA European Championships with Poland.
The 23-year-old is part of Paulo Sousa’s squad for the tournament, which got underway on Friday night as Italy ran out 3-0 winners against Turkey.
The winger has been capped 14 times by Poland at senior level and scored twice, having previously impressed at youth international level.
His first international goal was a stunning solo effort against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League last November, while he scored with a fine finish in a 3-3 draw against Hungary in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier in March of this year.
Poland face Slovakia (Monday 14th June), Spain (Saturday 19th June) and Sweden (Wednesday 23rd June) in Group E and Jozwiak is pushing for a place in the starting line-up from the off.
The tournament, delayed by a year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, is the first of the player’s career to date and he wants to grasp the opportunity to shine with both hands.
Speaking at press conference for the Poland national side on Saturday, Jozwiak said: “This is the first big event before me; it's a dream come true.
“I would like to be the driving force behind the team. I am not an experienced player, but I can give a lot to the Polish national team.
“I am a player who wants to play in the starting line-up. This is my objective.”
He added: “The atmosphere is good and I hope this will translate into results.”
Jozwiak joined Derby from Polish top-flight side Lech Poznan in September 2020 for an undisclosed fee.
He made 41 appearances in the Sky Bet Championship over the course of his first season with the Rams and found the back of the net once, with a stunning strike in Derby’s 2-0 home win over Swansea City last December.
Wayne Rooney’s side avoided relegation on the final day of the season, with a 3-3 draw against Sheffield Wednesday, and the challenges they faced during the season are likely to stand Jozwiak in good stead.
“It was a difficult season,” he admitted. “I have many games in my legs, because the Championship is played almost every three days.
“The preparations for the tournament were strong, but we will be optimally prepared because we are slowly getting off the burden.”