Kai Brünker

Kai Daniel Brünker (born 10 June 1994) is a German professional footballer who plays for 1. FC Saarbrücken, as a striker.[3]

Kai Brünker
Brünker in 2019
Personal information
Full name Kai Daniel Brünker[1]
Date of birth (1994-06-10) 10 June 1994
Place of birth Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 1. FC Saarbrücken
Number 9
Youth career
FC Kappel
SV Zimmern
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 FC 08 Villingen 39 (18)
2015–2018 SC Freiburg II 68 (26)
2018–2019 Bradford City 26 (0)
2019–2020 SG Sonnenhof Großaspach 44 (7)
2020–2023 1. FC Magdeburg 79 (12)
2023– 1. FC Saarbrücken 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 July 2023

Early and personal life

Brünker is from Villingen-Schwenningen; in August 2018 he stated that a number of people from his village had bought Bradford City shirts and were watching matches online.[4] During the 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Germany he returned to stay in Villingen after the football season had been ended early.[5]

Career

Brünker spent his early career in Germany with FC Kappel, SV Zimmern, FC 08 Villingen and SC Freiburg II.[6][7]

He turned professional with English club Bradford City in January 2018, signing an 18-month contract.[8][9] He was signed by the club as support for Charlie Wyke.[10] He made his debut for the club on 27 January 2018, appearing as a substitute in a 4–0 league defeat at home to AFC Wimbledon.[11] On 12 April 2018, after Bradford's poor form, manager Simon Grayson suggested Brünker was close to making his first start for the club.[12] He made his first start the next day, on 13 April 2018, in a 0–0 league draw at home to Shrewsbury Town.[11] Later that month, he stated that he was becoming used to playing and living in England.[13] Ahead of the 2018–19 season he stated he was looking forward to breaking back into the first team following an ankle injury at the end of the previous season and the appointment of Michael Collins as the new manager.[14]

He scored his first goal for Bradford City in a 4–1 home defeat in the EFL Trophy on 9 October 2018.[15] He described it as a "special moment".[16]

He left the club in January 2019, to return to Germany,[17] signing for SG Sonnenhof Großaspach on a contract until June 2020.[18][19] After leaving Bradford City he was described by the local newspaper as "a bit of a cult hero at City, but sadly it was for all the wrong reasons".[20]

At the end of the 2019–20 season, following Sonnenhof Großaspach's relegation, he signed for 1. FC Magdeburg on a two-year contract.[5][21]

Career statistics
As of 1 July 2022
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
FC 08 Villingen 2013–14[7] Oberliga BW 179000000179
2014–15[7] Oberliga BW 229000000229
Total 39180000003918
SC Freiburg II 2015–16[7] Regionalliga SW 151000000151
2016–17[7] Oberliga BW 33170000003317
2017–18[7] Regionalliga SW 208000000208
Total 68260000006826
Bradford City 2017–18[11] League One 9000000090
2018–19[22] League One 17020102[lower-alpha 1]1221
Total 260201021311
SG Sonnenhof Großaspach 2018–19[2] 3. Liga 141000000141
2019–20[2] 3. Liga 306000000306
Total 447000000447
1. FC Magdeburg 2020–21[2] 3. Liga 285100000295
2021–22[2] 3. Liga 287000000287
Total 56120000005612
Career total 2336330102123964
  1. Appearances in the EFL Trophy.

References
  1. "Club list of registered players as at 19th May 2018 – Bradford City" (PDF). English Football League. 19 May 2018. p. 47. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  2. Kai Brünker at Soccerway. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  3. Kai Brünker at WorldFootball.net
  4. Simon Parker (4 August 2018). "German friends put shirt on Bruenker for Bantams success". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  5. Singler, Julian (17 July 2020). "Fußball: Der torhungrige Kai Brünker fühlt sich pudelwohl in Liga drei. Jetzt folgt der nächste Schritt in der Karriere des Profifußballers aus Villingen-Schwenningen". SÜDKURIER Online.
  6. Julian Singler (22 March 2017). ""Ich will noch weiter nach oben" – Interview mit Kai Brünker vom SC Freiburg" (in German). Südkurier. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  7. "Profile" (in German). FUPA. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  8. "Kai Bruenker: Bradford City sign German striker for undisclosed fee". BBC Sport. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  9. Simon Parker (25 January 2018). "Striker Kai Bruenker joins the Bantams from SC Freiburg". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  10. Simon Parker (29 January 2018). "Rahic: Bruenker can pass English lessons with Bantams". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  11. "Games played by Kai Brünker in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  12. Simon Parker (12 April 2018). "Bradford City: Raw striker Bruenker in reckoning for first start". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  13. Simon Parker (17 April 2018). "Striker Bruenker hungry to make his City mark". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  14. Simon Parker (24 July 2018). "Bruenker confident of making mark under new Bantams regime". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  15. Simon Parker (10 October 2018). "Report: Fans vote with feet again as Bruenker breaks duck in Bantams defeat". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  16. Simon Parker (12 October 2018). "Bradford City: Bruenker's joy at getting off mark". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  17. Simon Parker (7 January 2019). "Bradford City striker Bruenker heads back to Germany". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  18. Andreas Breitenberger (8 January 2019). "SG Sonnenhof Großaspach: Kai Brünker kommt" (in German). Liga Drei. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  19. "Drittligist Großaspach holt Angreifer Brünker" (in German). Welt. 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  20. "FIVE FLOPS: City disasters in the January transfer window". Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
  21. Germany, Schwarzwälder Bote, Oberndorf. "Fußball: Früherer FC 08 Villingen-Stürmer Kai Brünker wechselt zum 1. FC Magdeburg - Schwarzwälder Bote". www.schwarzwaelder-bote.de.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. "Games played by Kai Brünker in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
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