The 29-year-old Werder Bremen striker entered the final tournament and scored the equalizer, leaving the Germans still hoping for qualification
From anonymity to world titles. This was the path that the unknown center forward Niclas Fullkrug traveled keeping alive the possibility of qualifying for the Germany this Sunday when he scored a 1-1 draw with Spain in the group stage of the Qatar World Cup🇧🇷
Werder Bremen’s mid-sized player, the 1.89m tall striker played for Werder Bremen in the second division of the German league a year ago. Among the stars of the first magnitude commanded by the coach Hansi flick, it was his accurate shooting that prevented an early elimination at the World Cup. Such a feat earned the famous Thomas Muller praise at the end of the game. “That’s exactly why he’s there,” commented the forward.
Popular with his teammates, he has already received praise from the team captain. “He brings a certain freshness to the national team, despite his not very young age. He is always positive, always on the move and that’s what he wants: an absolute team player”.
At the age of 29, Fülkrug lives a reality that he never thought he would interpret in his simple career. In the selection thanks to the injuries of Timo Werner and Marco Reus, he arrived in the group literally at the end of the preparation lights. “I’m happy to gain a foothold here. Happy to leave a mark straight away and help the team. I hope there are more goals on the way,” he told reporters.
Germany still need to win their next match and hope for a combination of results in their other group match to stay in the World Cup, but Füllkrug has already done far more than was expected of him.
With just three games for the senior squad, he scored twice. His star shone on his first appearance in the 1-0 winning goal against Oman, in the Germans’ last friendly before the Cup.
Now facing Spain, and at a crucial moment, he has emerged to rescue Germany. Füllkrug’s relationship with selection was limited to basic categories. The last call-up to the Under 20 dates back to 2014. Afterwards, total oblivion.
Füllkrug defended Bremen in his first years as a professional but has enriched his résumé with modest clubs such as Greuther Fürth, Nürnberg and Hannover 96. The return to the original squad came in style in 2019.
With a disruptive style, he was a key player at second-placed Werder Bremen with his 19 goals and six assists. Also known as Lucke, a nickname that refers to the separated teeth at the top, he has continued to do well this season.
Vice top scorer in the German league, he scored ten goals in 14 games. Thanks to his performance, Werder appear in ninth place in the standings. The stellar side of his career is going well for the striker who is starting to get used to fame. “The team welcomed me with such a great character that I have rarely experienced. It was not difficult to enter the field and everything is going well.”
If you still don’t have the weight to be a starter. The great striker can already feel like a “predestined” full-back. “I’m very calm in these situations because it’s not the first goal I score, nor the first important goal I score. We’re already preparing for the next match because this goal of mine will be of little use to us if we don’t survive the group stage.”
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
