Niclas Füllkrug

Niclas Füllkrug (born 9 February 1993) is a German professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Germany national team.

Niclas Füllkrug
Füllkrug with Werder Bremen in 2021
Personal information
Full name Niclas Füllkrug[1]
Date of birth (1993-02-09) 9 February 1993
Place of birth Hanover, Germany
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Borussia Dortmund
Number 14
Youth career
1996–2005 TuS Ricklingen[3]
2005–2006 Sportfreunde Ricklingen[3]
2006–2012 Werder Bremen[3]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2014 Werder Bremen II 26 (10)
2012–2014 Werder Bremen 23 (2)
2013–2014 → Greuther Fürth (loan) 21 (6)
2014–2016 1. FC Nürnberg 54 (17)
2016–2019 Hannover 96 75 (21)
2019–2023 Werder Bremen 90 (45)
2023– Borussia Dortmund 6 (2)
International career‡
2010 Germany U18 1 (0)
2011–2012 Germany U19 7 (5)
2012–2014 Germany U20 9 (3)
2022– Germany 11 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:04, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 02:24, 18 October 2023 (UTC)

A Werder Bremen youth star, Füllkrug started his senior career with the club's reserves. Following appearances with the first team in the Bundesliga and a loan to 2. Bundesliga side Greuther Fürth in the 2013–14 season, he moved to 1. FC Nürnberg. His performances at Nürnberg earned him a move to Hannover 96 in 2016. In April 2019, Füllkrug's return to Werder Bremen for the 2019–20 season was announced. In 2022, he was selected for the German squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Werder Bremen, and Greuther Fürth loan
Füllkrug in training, running with a football
Füllkrug training with Werder Bremen in 2012

Füllkrug spent eight years with TuS Ricklingen in the Ricklingen district of Hanover,[4] where he was coached by his father.[5] During his time there he scored an average of 160 goals per season.[5] When he joined Werder Bremen at the age of 14 in summer 2006, he rejected offers from five Bundesliga clubs and Hannover 96.[5]

Having progressed through Werder Bremen's youth system, Füllkrug began his senior career with the club's reserves.

On 24 August 2013, he joined Greuther Fürth on a one-year loan deal.[6][7] On 2 November 2013, he scored four goals including a 12-minute hat-trick for his new club during a spectacular 6–2 away win at Erzgebirge Aue.[8] Having scored six goals in 18 appearances, he sustained a ligament rupture in his right ankle in a 2–0 win against VfL Bochum which was expected to keep him out of action for three to four weeks.[9]

1. FC Nürnberg

In 2014, Füllkrug joined 1. FC Nürnberg permanently having agreed a "long-term" contract,[10] with a reported duration of three years.[11] Werder Bremen secured an option to re-sign him for a fixed fee.[11]

Hannover 96

Füllkrug joined Hannover 96 on a four-year contract in July 2016. Nürnberg received a reported transfer fee of €2 million plus 1 million in possible bonuses.[12][13]

He failed to score in his first eight Bundesliga appearances for Hannover 96 but hit a hat-trick against Mainz 05 on 13 January 2018[14][15] in a run of goals that got his name mentioned with a call up to the Germany national squad.[16] He scored 14 goals in his first season with the club.[17]

On 31 August 2018, it was announced that Füllkrug had agreed to a contract extension until 2022.[17] On 30 September 2018, in a match against Eintracht Frankfurt, he was substituted off with an ankle injury,[18][19] but was able to play in the following match, a 3–1 win against VfB Stuttgart which moved Hannover up from the last place in the league table.[20][21] He also featured in a 2–2 away draw against Bayer Leverkusen[22] and a 2–1 home defeat against FC Augsburg[23] despite suffering from pain in his knee. He did not play in Hannover 96's loss in the second round of the DFB-Pokal on 30 October due to knee problems relating back to an injury sustained in 2013. Manager André Breitenreiter stated that the issue had been plaguing Füllkrug for years and that the pain was so severe before the cup match that Füllkrug did not feel "safe".[24] After consulting a specialist[25] Füllkrug returned to training on 20 November[26] and started in four consecutive matches.[27][28][29][30]

A few days after Füllkrug missed a match against SC Freiburg due to knee problems,[31] it was announced that the injury was severe and he would likely be out for the rest of the season.[32] The injury required surgery and was revealed to be cartilage damage to his right knee, the third injury of this kind of his career. He previously suffered cartilage damage at Werder Bremen (January 2013, right knee) and 1. FC Nürnberg (March 2015, left knee).[33]

Return to Werder Bremen

In April 2019, it was announced Füllkrug would return to former club Werder Bremen for the 2019–20 season. There were conflicting reports of the fee paid to Hannover 96 with Deichstube reporting €6.3 million plus a possible 500,000 in bonuses[34] and Sportbuzzer claiming 7 million.[35] 1. FC Nürnberg also profited from the transfer through a 10% sell-on clause.[36] On 26 September 2020, he scored his second Bundesliga hat-trick in a 3–1 away win against Schalke 04.[37] In the 2021–22 2. Bundesliga, he scored 19 goals which helped his club to be promoted back to the Bundesliga.[38] In the beginning of the 2022–23 Bundesliga, he scored 10 goals in 14 matches, which urged the Germany national coach Hansi Flick to call him up for the World Cup in November.[39] He eventually managed to score 16 goals in that season to finish as joint top scorer along with Christopher Nkunku.[40]

Borussia Dortmund

On 31 August 2023, Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund announced the signing of Füllkrug on a three-year contract,[41] for a reported fee of €13 million + €2 million in add-ons.[42] On 29 September, he scored his first goal at the club in a 3–1 away win over Hoffenheim.[43]

International career

In November 2022, Füllkrug was called up for the Germany national team for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.[44] He made his debut in a friendly against Oman as a substitute and scored in the process. Coincidentally, he also became the oldest outfield player to make his debut for Germany in 20 years, aged 29 years and 280 days after Martin Max who was 33 years and 253 days old when he made his debut for Germany in 2002.[45] On 27 November, he scored his first World Cup goal for Germany in a 1–1 draw against Spain.[46] On 1 December, he scored a goal in a 4–2 win over Costa Rica. However, Germany was eliminated from the group stage as they finished third on goal difference.[47]

Personal life

Füllkrug's nickname is "Lücke" (German for "gap") because of his front teeth.[15] He has a wife named Lisa,[15] and a daughter born in 2019.[48] His sister, Anna-Lena, plays as a striker for Hannover 96, while his grandfather Gerd used to play for SV Arminia Hannover.[49]

Following an accident at Werder Bremen's training ground he once ended up hospitalised with the tooth of his teammate wedged in his forehead.[15]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 20 October 2023[50]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League DFB-Pokal Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Werder Bremen II 2011–12 3. Liga 225–––00
2012–13 Regionalliga Nord 45–––45
Total 2610–––2610
Werder Bremen 2011–12 Bundesliga 11100––111
2012–13 Bundesliga 12111––132
2013–14 Bundesliga 0010––10
Total 23221––253
Greuther Fürth (loan) 2013–14 2. Bundesliga 21610–2[lower-alpha 1]0246
1. FC Nürnberg 2014–15 2. Bundesliga 24310––253
2015–16 2. Bundesliga 301421–2[lower-alpha 1]03415
Total 541731–205918
1. FC Nürnberg II 2015–16 Regionalliga Bayern 10–––10
Hannover 96 2016–17 2. Bundesliga 27520––295
2017–18 Bundesliga 341422––3616
2018–19 Bundesliga 14211––153
Total 752153––8024
Werder Bremen 2019–20 Bundesliga 8410–2[lower-alpha 1]0114
2020–21 Bundesliga 19620––216
2021–22 2. Bundesliga 331910––3419
2022–23 Bundesliga 281620––3016
2023–24 Bundesliga 2011––31
Total 904571–209946
Borussia Dortmund 2023–24 Bundesliga 62002[lower-alpha 2]0–82
Career total 2961031862060322109
  1. Appearances in Bundesliga relegation play-offs
  2. Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International
As of match played 17 October 2023
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Germany 202243
202376
Total119
Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Füllkrug goal.
List of international goals scored by Niclas Füllkrug
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
116 November 2022Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman1 Oman1–01–0Friendly
227 November 2022Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar3 Spain1–11–12022 FIFA World Cup
31 December 2022Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar4 Costa Rica4–24–22022 FIFA World Cup
425 March 2023Mewa Arena, Mainz, Germany5 Peru1–02–0Friendly
52–0
628 March 2023RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany6 Belgium1–22–3Friendly
712 June 2023Weserstadion, Bremen, Germany7 Ukraine1–03–3Friendly
814 October 2023Pratt & Whitney Stadium, East Hartford, United States10 United States2–13–1Friendly
917 October 2023Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States11 Mexico2–22–2Friendly

Honours

Individual

References
  1. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Squad list: Germany (GER)" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 13. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  2. "Niclas Füllkrug". SV Werder Bremen. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  3. "Niclas Füllkrug". kicker Online (in German). Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  4. "Fidele Dörp | Archiv: November 2006". www.fidele-doerp.de. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  5. "archive.ph". archive.ph. Archived from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  6. "Fürth leiht Füllkrug ein Jahr von Werder Bremen". nordbayern.de (in German). 24 August 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  7. "Fürth holt Niclas Füllkrug auf Leihbasis" (in German). 24 August 2013. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  8. "6:2! Füllkrug-Hattrick in zwölf Minuten". kicker Online (in German). 2 November 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  9. "Bänderriss legt Füllkrug lahm". nordbayern.de (in German). 12 March 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  10. "Gestern Fürth, heute Nürnberg: Füllkrug wechselt zum FCN". nordbayern.de (in German). 26 June 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  11. "Füllkrug unterschreibt Dreijahresvertrag beim FCN". kicker Online (in German). 26 June 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  12. Tietenberg, Dirk (19 July 2016). "Hannover 96: Zwei für die erste Klasse". Neue Presse (in German). Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  13. "Füllkrug kehrt in seine Heimat zurück". Hannover 96 (in German). 18 July 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  14. "Niclas Füllkrug hat-trick completes fightback for Hannover over Mainz". Bundesliga. 13 January 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  15. "Füllkrug's on fire! Bundesliga defences are terrified as the Hannover marksman takes aim". Bundesliga. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  16. "Watch: Germany's World Cup dark horses". Bundesliga. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
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  19. "Kapselverletzung bei Niclas Füllkrug – Ausfall gegen den VfB Stuttgart droht". Sportbuzzer (in German). 1 October 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
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  21. "Maßflanke Albornoz, Kopfball Wood: 96 atmet auf". kicker Online (in German). 6 October 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
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  23. "Khedira nutzt Antons Patzer". kicker Online (in German). 27 October 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  24. Willeke, Andreas (1 November 2018). ""Die alte Geschichte": Der Knie-Fall Niclas Füllkrug macht Hannover 96 Sorgen" (in German). Sportbuzzer. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  25. Willeke, Andreas (12 November 2018). "Hannover 96: Füllkrug wie Sarenren Bazee? Profi-Heiler soll helfen" (in German). Sportbuzzer. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  26. Tietenberg, Dirk (20 November 2018). "Korb trainiert allein, Schwegler fehlt gegen Gladbach: Der Stand im 96-Verletztenlager" (in German). Sportbuzzer. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  27. "Hazard und Stindl sehenswert: Gladbachs Heimserie hält". kicker Online (in German). 25 November 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  28. "Dank Torunarigha: Hertha siegt in Hannover". kicker Online (in German). 1 December 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  29. "Videobeweis, Fehlentscheidung, Gelb-Rot: Wildes Remis in Mainz". kicker Online (in German). 9 December 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  30. "Traumhaft beim 4:0: Kimmichs Volley, Alabas Dropkick". kicker Online (in German). 15 December 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
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  32. ""Riesiger Schock" für Hannover: Saison-Aus für Füllkrug". kicker Online (in German). 21 December 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  33. "Füllkrug erfolgreich am Knie operiert". kicker Online (in German). 27 December 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  34. "Offiziel: Werder holt Füllkrug zurück". Deichstube (in German). Kreiszeitung. 25 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  35. "Hannover 96: Die Rückkehr von Niclas Füllkrug zu Werder Bremen ist perfekt!". Sportbuzzer (in German). 25 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  36. "Auch der Club verdient: Füllkrug-Wechsel perfekt". nordbayern.de (in German). 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  37. "Niclas Füllkrug hits hat-trick as Werder Bremen add to Schalke's woes". Bundesliga. September 2020.
  38. Gill Clark (27 November 2022). "Who is Niclas Fullkrug? Germany star's incredible rise from unheralded second tier star to World Cup hero". goal.com.
  39. "Niclas Füllkrug: Who is the Werder Bremen and Germany striker?". Bundesliga. 1 December 2022.
  40. "Christopher Nkunku and Niclas Füllkrug share 2022/23 Bundesliga top goalscorer trophy". Bundesliga. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  41. "Borussia Dortmund verpflichtet Nationalstürmer Niclas Füllkrug" (in German). Borussia Dortmund. 31 August 2023.
  42. "Dortmund officially introduce Füllkrug". Bulinews. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  43. "Dortmund siegt bei Füllkrugs Torpremiere". faz.net (in German). 29 September 2023.
  44. ""War ein langer Weg!" Füllkrugs emotionale Worte zur Nominierung". sport1.de (in German). 11 November 2022.
  45. @optafranz (16 November 2022). "Aged 29 years and 280 days, Niclas Füllkrug is the oldest outfield player to make his debut for Germany in 20 years" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 November 2022 – via Twitter.
  46. "Niclas Füllkrug rettet gegen Spanien ein Unentschieden". DW (in German). 27 November 2022.
  47. "World Cup 2022 - Costa Rica 2-4 Germany: Four-time tournament winners exit at group stage again". Sky Sports. 1 December 2022.
  48. Björn Knips (11 September 2019). "Niclas Füllkrug und der Baby-Boost: "Unsere Kleine beflügelt mich". Die DeichStube (in German).
  49. Rainer Hennies (1 February 2019). "Anna-Lena Füllkrug: "Sportlerin des Jahres"". fussball.de (in German).
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