Maximilian Haas might be an unknown quantity in England, but chief football writer Paul Fraser has found out why the Middlesbrough new-boy was more well known in Germany.

IF Middlesbrough had signed a defender in his mid-20s from a Premier League club on deadline day who had not played a single first team game, questions, you would imagine, would have been asked.

Life in what is effectively Bayern Munich’s reserves, however, is quite different to that of a player who might have spent the last five years turning out for a second string deemed not good enough by, say, Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

It is safe to assume that Ferguson would not have had a player on United’s books anywhere near the age of 25 who was still to make an appearance in the first team.

On the continent, Germany in this case, things are done differently.

Rather than travel around in the reserves’ league in front of tiny crowds, like English clubs do, at Bayern there is a more first team feel.

Boro’s new signing Maximilian Haas never appeared for the German giants in the Bundesliga. In fact, when he completed a switch to the Riverside Stadium on Monday, he had struggled to make the substitutes bench.

Since the summer, though, he had become a member of Louis van Gaal’s first team squad, albeit behind three other centre-backs whose reputations ensured they were selected ahead of an untried and untested young man from Freising.

Haas may not have had the pedigree of Daniel van Buyten, Holger Badstuber or Martin Demichelis, who has since moved to Malaga in Spain, but he is satisfied that providing the back up to them, while playing consistently for the second team, has left him ready for the English league.

The 25-year-old has been captain of Bayern Munich II in the Landesliga, which is the third tier in German football and the highest division a second string can play in. He has not been playing in front of hundreds, there have been thousands watching him in action at the 28,000-capacity Grunwalder Stadion.

“It was not as if we were always training separately from the first team, it depended on the coaches who you trained with,” said Haas, a deadline day signing for an undisclosed fee.

“Right now with van Gaal, the first and second team are really close. If he needed a player from the second team he would always get one for the session.

“There were other coaches, though, that preferred to keep them both very separate.

Everyone knows everyone at the moment, it’s been very good, but I was still clear that it was time to change.

“The second team have a nice stadium, it’s not always sold out but there can be thousands there and some times it is sold out.

“It’s totally different to over here. Playing for the reserves here is different, it doesn’t get much attention. In Germany you can play in the leagues below the first team. We were a good team.”

In 2008 Haas was a key member of the Bayern II team that clinched promotion to the Landesliga. But while he was always deemed an essential squad member and integral to the second team’s success, he was unable to break onto the Bundesliga stage.

With a heavy heart, he took the decision to move to England, where he is looking for his career to progress quickly. Having turned down opportunities to move to other Bundesliga clubs, his aim is to play in the Premier League.

“I first learned about Middlesbrough’s interest around Christmas time,” said Haas, who has travelled to England for the first time with his girlfriend. “I was told that they had watched me play. I was totally impressed that Middlesbrough wanted me. I wanted to do it.

“I love English football.

English football is fantastic.

In my mind I have played fourand- a-half years at Bayern. I wanted to go on to the next step. I had to move in my head.

I am glad Bayern were happy not to put any stones in my way.

“In Germany the Premier League is the best in the world. It’s the fastest league and my dream is to play there, hopefully with this club. I hope we can achieve that in my first 18 months.”

His love for the Premier League dates back years. As a child from a football-loving family in the Bavarian district of Freising he would regularly watch and admire the talents of Alan Shearer and Paul Gascoigne.

His father, Hans, was his main inspiration and his first coach as a four-year-old playing locally, where he gradually progressed through the ranks at SE Freising.

Haas spent much of his free time playing beach volleyball and learning the English language – both to a high standard. Playing professional football, however, was always his dream and Bayern came calling in 2007.

“To be given the chance to sign for Bayern was amazing for me,” said Haas, who was with Freising from his junior days until he was spotted by Bayern II coach Hermann Gerland. “It was my big break to get in to the professional game and to get that chance at 20 was great after working so hard for Freising.

“It was a great and special time for me. In Germany I always wanted to be like Mehmet Scholl, a great Bayern and Germany player, and he was my first coach at Munich, it was amazing to work with him. He was a really great player and Bayern were always my team.”

Following the departure of David Wheater to Bolton, Boro have needed a commanding centre-back to compete with Seb Hines and Matthew Bates until Stephen McManus returns from a long lay-off.

Haas, by all accounts, will provide that. He prefers not to describe his own strengths and weaknesses and would prefer others to pass judgement on his style – although he does enjoy carrying the ball out from the back like one famous German in particular.

“I liked Franz Beckenbauer’s style and I also look back on the videos of him when he used to play,” said Haas, who has travelled to Crystal Palace today where he hopes to debut.

“I might not be the same as him, or any other player, because I play my own way, but I try to play football and not just to clear things up.”

To have caught the eye of van Gaal, one of the world’s finest coaches, during his short time under his wing, Haas must have something even if the rest of the country are distinctly unaware of him.

Now he is on Teesside he is keen to prove he has the ability and the desire to become a first team success story, even if his chance to succeed at his boyhood heroes, Bayern, never really materialised.

He said: “Van Gaal has coached the best players in the world at Barcelona and he has had some more of those at Bayern. I learned a lot under him. It can be sad to leave, but sometimes you have to step away from it. This is a step forward for my career because I aim to play and get in to the Premier League.

“I have liked it here so far.

It’s totally different to Germany. In Munich, our training centre was not that big, it’s all huge here and the people here are so friendly. It’s like a family, that’s the difference so far.

“Middlesbrough have a great history, they spent many years in the Premier League and they have many good players. I want to help this club to be back in the Premier League.”

Having only signed an initial 18-month deal, Haas has set his heart on celebrating a return to the Premier League by the end of next season.

If his wish is granted, his time on Teesside could well be extended.