The starlet revealed how the Royal Blues persuaded him to move to Veltins-Arena, where he is eager to prove his worth next season
New Schalke midfielder Johannes Geis revealed he chose the club over Ruhr rivals Borussia Dortmund because they wanted him more.
The 21-year-old was a revelation last season, making 34 appearances and scoring four goals as Mainz secured Bundesliga survival by a comfortable margin.
Geis had been widely expected to move to Dortmund, where he would have been reunited with former mentor Thomas Tuchel but instead opted to move to neighbours Schalke after speaking to coach Andre Breitenreiter.
"Schalke just made a bigger effort [than Dortmund to sign him]," the Germany youth international told Bild.
"He [Breitenreiter] told me upfront what he demands of me and told me I can become part of something big growing at the club. That motivated me to come here even more.
"Although Schalke are one of the biggest clubs in Europe, he told me to play without fear of failing, and gave me time. But I want to quickly prove that my signing was the right one for this club.
"I wanted to join a club where I woud play regularly, so Schalke were the best to talk to. The team must prove themselves and make up for last season."
The Gelsenkirchen club are hoping to improve on their sixth-placed Bundesliga finish last season, which saw ex-coach Jens Keller sacked in October and replacement Di Matteo resign in May.
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