The Early Days
Ever since I was a young boy, I always played in goal...
…well, not quite, because in my very first appearance for the U-8 team of the local club Eimsbütteler TV I actually played in midfield. It was shortly after my 7th birthday and the match ended in a 0-10 disaster!
Our goalkeeper was so fed up, that he decided never to stand in goal again and threw his gloves away! I picked them up and a week later I put on the yellow number 1 jersey to take my own chance between the sticks. That marked the beginning of my goalkeeping career.
As our results got better I started enjoying the role of the “killjoy”, preventing everybody else from putting the ball into the back of my net. But my real highlight came 3 years later in the season 2000/01, when my new team FC Alsterbrüder won the League and also finished 1st in Hamburger Indoor Championship. At the same time I was picked to train with the Young Talent Selection of the Hamburg FA. Despite beeing quite successful, after an unlucky spell with the U-14 team of SC Victoria, the best amateur football club in Hamburg, I decided I’d had enough of football.
So at the age of 13 I hung up my gloves and tried my luck at other sports like volleyball and hanball, where I ended up playing, you guessed it, in goal!
The Comeback
All of a sudden, carried away from the euphoria of the Word Cup 2006, I rediscovered my passion for football which led me to a second spell with my old team-mates of FC Alstebrüder. This time I had a go in the back four before the coach discovered my talent in goal.
After returning to home in 2008 I joined the U-19 team of Blau-Weiß 96 Schenefeld where I became first choice goalkeeper.
Besides, I occasionally sat on the bench of the 1st senior team in the Landesliga (2nd amateur div. in Hamburg and 6th overall in Germany). That was my last season in junior football.
In the following year I had my 1st international transfer! Moving to Prague for a year out I played for the U-18, as well as for the senior team, of the local FK Říčany in the 5th Division of the Czech Republic League.
After returning to home in 2008 I joined the U-19 team of Blau-Weiß 96 Schenefeld where I became first choice goalkeeper.
Besides, I occasionally sat on the bench of the 1st senior team in the Landesliga (2nd amateur div. in Hamburg and 6th overall in Germany). That was my last season in junior football.
From the Oberliga Hamburg to the Hoofdklasse Limburg
At the end of the season 2008/09 the club SV Lurup sign me up as 2nd string to Marcel Kindler, one of the best goalies in the Oberliga Hamburg (top amateur league).
Although I gained a lot of experience and trained very hard, I didn’t get much playing practice, apart from a few friendlies and the odd game for the reserves. Nevertheless, my efforts weren’t in vain as I replaced my injured team-mate in the last 3 matches of the season. A month later I passed my Abitur exams and started applying for academic studies.
In August 2010 I was offered a place to study at the University of Maastricht, which meant another international transfer for me. My search for a football club in the County of South Limburg brought me to SV Meerssen and the Dutch Hoofdklasse (top amateur League) via email… Having missed the 1st half of the season, for not being eligible due to late registration, I played throughout the 2nd half.
These 12 matches provided a thrilling finale, in which we avoided being relegated. On the other hand it was so close, that 4 points separated the teams involved in religation from those playing for promotion!
At the end
of the season 2012/13, after having played 34 times for my former Club and with
a Degree of Bachelor in International Business in my Luggage, I decided to
return to my home country. So in July 2013 I signed a 2-year contract for the
Regionalliga-Nord (4th German League) Club: VfR
Neumünster, the current Schleswig-Holstein-Cup holders. I look
forward to having an interesting and successful time with my new team, as this
will be the next major challenge in my football career.
