Leon Goretzka

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Leon Goretzka
File:Goretzka Schalke 2015.jpg
Goretzka training with Schalke 04 in 2015
Personal information
Date of birth (1995-02-06) 6 February 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth Bochum, Germany
Height Script error: No such module "person height".
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Schalke 04
Number 8
Youth career
1999–2001 Werner SV 06 Bochum
2001–2012 VfL Bochum
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 VfL Bochum 32 (4)
2013– Schalke 04 60 (5)
2015 Schalke 04 II 1 (0)
International career‡
2010–2011 Germany U16 10 (2)
2011–2012 Germany U17 17 (5)
2012– Germany U19 3 (0)
2013– Germany U21 9 (1)
2014– Germany 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:27, 25 May 2016 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:55, 17 November 2015 (UTC)

Leon Goretzka (German pronunciation: [ˈlɛ.ɔn ˈɡor.ʀɛts.kaː]; born 6 February 1995) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Schalke 04.[1][2][3]

Club career

VfL Bochum

In 1999, Goretzka started his career with Werner SV 06 Bochum. He stayed for two years with the WSV before making the move to the VfL Bochum in 2001.[2] On 15 November 2010, Goretzka made his debut for the German under-16 national team against Northern Ireland in Göttingen.[4] On 24 August 2011, Goretzka made his debut for the German under-17 national team against Turkey in Kelsterbach.[5] Goretzka subsequently captained the German under-17 national team during the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship qualifying round and the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship.

On 30 July 2012, Goretzka was awarded with the 2012 under-17 Fritz Walter Medal in gold.[6] On 4 August 2012, Goretzka made his professional debut for the VfL Bochum in the 2. Bundesliga against Dynamo Dresden in the rewirpowerSTADION.[7] On 14 August 2012, Goretzka made his debut for the German under-19 national team against Scotland in Falkirk.[8]

Schalke 04

In June 2013, he signed a contract with Bundesliga side Schalke 04.[9] On 13 August 2013, Goretzka made his debut for the German under-21 national team against France in Freiburg im Breisgau.[10] On 8 May 2014, he was named to the 30-man provisional squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup by German national team manager, Joachim Löw.

On 11 July 2013, FC Schalke 04 confirmed that Goretzka signed a five-year professional contract with them until 30 June 2018.[11] The transfer fee is reported as €3,000,000 to €4,000,000 by Schalke's sport and communications manager Horst Heldt.[11] Leon Goretzka was assigned a number 8 shirt, previously worn by Ciprian Marica.[11]

International career

Youth teams

On 15 October 2010, Goretzka made his Germany national U-16 football team debut in a friendly against Northern Ireland and he scored in the 3–2 victory.[12][13] On 24 August 2011, Goretzka made his Germany national U-17 football team debut against Turkey in a 4–0 victory.[14] In May 2012, he captained the Germany national U-17 football team at the 2012 UEFA U-17 Football Championship in Slovenia and led the German U-17 team all the way to the final against the Netherlands.[15] In the final, Goretzka scored the lead goal of the match taking the scoreline to 1–0 and his goal was compensated in stoppage time taking the scoreline to 1–1; the subsequent penalty shoot-out was won by the Netherlands.[15] On 8 August 2013, he debuted for the Germany national U-21 football team under Horst Hrubesch, in a 0–0 draw against France in which he had a magnificent match.[16]

2014 World Cup

On 8 May 2014, Goretzka was inducted into the 30-man preliminary squad of the German national football team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup by Germany's manager, Joachim Löw.[17] On 13 May 2014, he made his debut in a 0–0 draw against the Poland national football team.[18] After Germany's match against the Poland, in which Goretzka had suffered a muscle injury, he was subtracted from the team's preparatory training camp and final squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.[19]

Playing style

Goretzka is referred to as one of the brightest football talents in German football.[20][21] Peter Neururer, Goretzka's head coach at VfL Bochum, said that he had "never seen an eighteen year old footballer which had a potential as Goretzka" and titled him as the "talent of the century".[22] Goretzka has a potent eye for scoring goals and is known to possess good ball control ability and also has the ability to pick out passes for his team-mates.[23] Goretzka produces powerful shots from outside the penalty area, a trait similar to that of Paul Scholes.[23] He is also well known for his excellent heading ability which sees him often score headed goals.[23] At 6 feet 2 inches, Goretzka's high-jumping ability helps him to win aerial battles even against the strongest and tallest defenders.[21] Goretzka's can be deployed as a defensive midfielder, as well as a left or right winger and in the position of playmaker.[21][24]

Career statistics

Club statistics

As of 25 May 2016[2]
Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League App. Goals App. Goals App. Goals App. Goals
Germany League DFB-Pokal Europe Total
2012–13 VfL Bochum 2. Bundesliga 32 4 4 0 — 36 4
2013–14 FC Schalke 04 Bundesliga 25 4 2 1 5 0 32 5
2014–15 10 0 0 0 1 0 12 0
2015–16 25 1 2 1 7 0 34 2
Total Germany 92 9 8 2 13 0 113 11
Career total 92 9 8 2 13 0 113 11

International statistics

National team Year App. Goals Ref.
Germany 2014 1 0 [25]
Total 1 0
Last updated: 25 September 2015

Honours

International

Germany

Individual

Personal life

Goretzka completed his Abitur and graduated from the Alice-Salomon-Berufskolleg (Alice-Salomon-Vocational School) in Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.[27] Goretzka's father Konrad Goretzka is an automotive engineer and electrical engineer for Opel.[28]

References

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  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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