The long wait is over! Three minutes were enough for Werder fans to get excited over Naby all over again

Exactly 106 days after his signing, Naby Keita made his first appearance for Werder Bremen. It was a great sight to see the experienced midfielder take the pitch in front of his new fans - and possibly the start of something good..

Teammate Niklas Stark, director Clemens Fritz and coach Ole Werner are delighted to see the player of such ability back on the grass. Keita's cameo may have lasted only a little over three minutes, but these last moments of stoppage time Werder and Koln were quite eventful: a first shot with his right foot, a successful back-heel trick, and a second, much more dangerous, shot with his left foot.

Keita's bow in the 2-1 home victory on Saturday evening, delayed by more than two months due to a groin injury, immediately showed some promising glimpses. Fans in the Weserstadion stands were delighted to hear the public announcer say Keita was about to come on. Former long-serving Werder player and director Fritz was delighted to see the Guinean in action.

"Who knows what would have happened here if he had scored! It's so nice to see him back on the pitch. Naby just wants to play football, and you can see that - he has worked really hard for it."

Keita, who struggled with injuries during his Liverpool stay, joined Bremen on a free transfer when his contract at Anfield expired. When he suffered a hamstring problem before a pre-season game, it caused a big cause for concern.

Even Werner mentioned "a long journey" that the Guinean international, who was signed on a free transfer from Liverpool, had to go through to make his Werder debut.

"Everyone has done a good job: the medical staff, the rehab trainers, and he himself. We know what we have in him; that was already visible in the short period he played."

Keita has just completed his first full training week at Osterdeich. For defender Stark, the impressions so far were enough to pay tribute to his new teammate.

"In the small training games, it's already something special to watch Naby play. He's an exceptional player, and I haven't seen that often. Keita is quick in his mind, quick in his feet."

As for how quickly his path could lead to the Werder starting eleven, Coach Werner said the most important thing is for the 28-year-old African to remain healthy.

"As long as he stays fit and gets through the week well - and we have a good feeling about that - he will get more playing time."

At the same time, Fritz deliberately cautioned against excessive expectations.

"It's important, and I urge everyone not to set the bar too high for Keita. It will take time for him to find his rhythm. He has the quality to make his teammates better."