Three seasons ago, Niclas Füllkrug was plying his trade in the 2. Bundesliga with Werder Bremen at the age of 28.
While there was still time for the striker to make a name for himself, not many would have believed nor imagined the magical journey Füllkrug has been on since.
Having fired Bremen to promotion, in their first campaign back in the Bundesliga, Füllkrug flourished, finishing the season as the league’s top goalscorer.
As well as this, Hansi Flick also offered the then-29-year-old his Germany debut before becoming a key player at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
What followed was a summer of speculation regarding the striker’s future, but just as it appeared as though he would remain at the Weserstadion, Borussia Dortmund came calling.
While his league form would suffer, in the Champions League, Füllkrug was vital for BvB, helping guide the club to the Champions League final.
However, despite this, over the summer transfer window, Die Schwarzgelben elected to sign Serhou Guirassy from VfB Stuttgart and allow Füllkrug to depart for West Ham United; speaking to Sport Bild about the move, the German international commented why he decided to move to the Premier League and whether he felt as though Dortmund failed to give him a vote of confidence:
“Last season I was able to experience a home European Championship with the national team with unforgettable moments and play in the Champions League final with BVB. This gave me opportunities, also due to the squad situation at Borussia Dortmund, that I simply had to deal with. I am now 31 years old. West Ham then made a huge effort to get me. I find the Premier League incredibly appealing. It was a great opportunity to start a completely new chapter in my life. This step felt right.”
In the end, I don’t know whether BVB—when they brought me in a year ago—even expected to generate such high transfer income with me again. I can understand that they wanted to take this transfer fee.”
“I don’t know if a vote of confidence was the right word. But I have managed to reach an even better level over the past three or four years. It should stay that way. It is very important to have a club where I play a central role and where I am important. Where the style of play is also geared to me to some extent.”
While his talent will undeniably be missed at the Westfalenstadion, it is expected that Füllkrug will be able to prove his worth in the Premier League and help push West Ham towards Europe this season.
GGFN | Will Shopland
