Czech talent Fenin is an instant Bundesliga hit

 "I am delighted. This is the first hat-trick of my career," said the 20-year-old Czech starlet after grabbing all goals in Eintracht Frankfurt's 3-0 triumph at Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

 Fenin is only the fifth player to score a hat-trick in a Bundesliga debut since the league was inaugurated in 1963.

 Sunday paper Bild am Sonntag named the forward "the new Bundesliga goal hero" and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung spoke of  "Eintracht's jewel."

   Italian giants Juventus Turin were allegedly interested in Fenin. But he went to Frankfurt, whose list of merits is far more modest than that of Juve with a UEFA Cup crown 1980, one German title 1959 and four German cups 1974, 1975, 1981 and 1988.

 Fenin left Czech club Teplice in early January for an estimated 3.5 million euros (5.2 million dollars) on a contract until 2012. An additional 500,000 euros have to be paid if he becomes a regular starter, which would make Fenin the most expensive player in club history.

 Frankfurt are only the second club for Fenin, who joined Teplice when he was six years old and made his first-team debut there at the young age of 16.

 He has played in the Czech junior national teams, helping the under-20 side to the final at the 2007 World Cup in Canada. His good showings also earned him a first of now four caps in the senior national team last summer.

 Fenin knows that the treble on Saturday in Berlin's Olympic stadium will help him towards a starting berth in the Czech team for Euro 2008 played June 7-29 in Austria and Switzerland.

 "I can only become a starter at Euro through goals. That is my big aim," he told Bild am Sonntag.

 Saturday's hat-trick was a good step in that direction, even more because one of his rivals for a place in the Czech 11, towering Jan Koller, had no success in his return to Bundesliga action from France. Koller lost 2-0 with lowly Nuremberg at Karlsruhe.

 Fenin admitted to being "nervous" before the match which saw his parents, sister and grandmother in the crowd. But he vowed afterwards that "I will score one or two goals against Bielefeld as well" next weekend.

 Frankfurt coach Friedhelm Funkel, meanwhile, said that such a  goalfest can't be repeated every weekend. 

   "I am surprised by his three goals. But I not surprised by his performance," said Funkel. "He won't be measured by goals...We are aware that he will have poorer showings as well.

 "We will have a lot of fun with him. Not only because of his three goals but because his character fits the team very well. He is unbelievably modest, very helpful and always working hard in training," said Funkel.

DPA