Quick Facts
Biography
Leon Christoph Goretzka (German pronunciation: [ˈleːɔn ˈɡoːʁɛtskaː]; born 6 February 1995) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club Schalke 04 and the Germany national team.
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 VfL Bochum in 2001.
On 30 July 2012, Goretzka was awarded the 2012 under-17 Fritz Walter Medal in gold. On 4 August 2012, Goretzka made his professional debut for the VfL Bochum in the 2. Bundesliga against Dynamo Dresden in the rewirpowerSTADION.
Schalke 04
In June 2013, he signed a contract with Bundesliga side Schalke 04. On 11 July 2013, Schalke confirmed that Goretzka signed a five-year professional contract with them until 30 June 2018. The transfer fee was reported to be between €3,000,000 and €4,000,000 by Schalke's sport and communications manager Horst Heldt. Leon Goretzka was assigned a number 8 shirt, previously worn by Ciprian Marica. During the 2013–14 season, Goretzka scored five goals in 32 appearances. During the 2014–15 season, Goretzka played for both the first and second teams. He made 10 appearances for the first team and only one appearance for the second team. During the 2015–16 season, Goretzka scored two goals in 34 appearances.
International career
Youth
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. On 24 August 2011, Goretzka made his Germany national U-17 football team debut against Turkey in a 4–0 victory. 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. 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. 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.
Senior
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. On 13 May 2014, he made his debut in a 0–0 draw against the Poland national football team. After Germany's match against Poland, in which Goretzka had suffered a muscle injury, he was removed from the team's preparatory training camp and final squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
In 2017, Goretzka was named in Germany's squad for the Confederations Cup in Russia. In the nation's opening match for the tournament on 20 June, he scored his first goal for Germany in a 3–2 Group B win over Australia.
Olympic team
Alongside Schalke teammate Max Meyer, Goretzka was named in the squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. He captained Germany in their first match against Mexico, but picked up a shoulder injury, and returned to Gelsenkirchen.
Playing style
Goretzka is referred to as one of the brightest football talents in German football. 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". 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. Goretzka produces powerful shots from outside the penalty area, a trait similar to that of Paul Scholes. He is also well known for his excellent heading ability which sees him often score headed goals. At 6 feet 2 inches, Goretzka's high-jumping ability helps him to win aerial battles even against the strongest and tallest defenders. Goretzka can be deployed as a defensive midfielder, as well as a left or right winger and in the position of playmaker.
Career statistics
Club statistics
- As of 21 May 2017
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | Ref. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Bochum | 2012–13 | 2. Bundesliga | 32 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 36 | 4 | ||
| Schalke | 2013–14 | Bundesliga | 25 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 32 | 5 | |
| 2014–15 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |||
| 2016–17 | 30 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 39 | 7 | |||
| Totals | 90 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 116 | 14 | — | ||
| Schalke II | 2014–15 | Regionalliga West | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Career totals | 123 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 20 | 2 | 152 | 20 | — | ||
International statistics
- As of 4 September 2017
| National team | Year | App. | Goals | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2017 | 7 | 4 | ||
| Total | 10 | 4 | ||
International goals
- As of 4 September 2017 (Germany score listed first, score column indicates score after each Goretzka goal)
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 19 June 2017 | Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia |  Australia | 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup | ||
| 2. | 29 June 2017 |  Mexico | ||||
| 3. | ||||||
| 4. | 4 September 2017 | Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany |  Norway | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
International
- Germany
- UEFA European Under-17 Championship: Runner-up 2012
- Summer Olympic Games: Silver Medal 2016
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2017
Individual
- Fritz Walter Medal in Gold (U-17): 2012
- FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Boot: 2017
- FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Ball: 2017
Personal life
Goretzka completed his Abitur and graduated from the Alice-Salomon-Berufskolleg (Alice-Salomon-Vocational School) in Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia. Goretzka's father Konrad Goretzka is an automotive engineer and electrical engineer for Opel.