1. He represented his country at youth level
Niclas Füllkrug appeared destined for the top from a young age – but had to bounce back from early disappointment to get to where he is today. He was a star with the Werder Bremen youth teams, having rejected offers from five other Bundesliga clubs to join Die Werderaner aged 14. He represented Germany at various age groups during this time – scoring five goals in seven caps for his country's U19s.
2. He shone for his hometown team
Niclas dropped down to 2.Bundesliga and quickly shone with his new club, 1. FC Nürnberg. After scoring 15 goals in 34 appearances in the 2015/16 campaign, he earned a move to his hometown team, Hannover 96. His upward trajectory showed no sign of abating in Hannover colours, as promotion to the top tier was achieved in his first term, before he handled the step back up to the Bundesliga with ease, notching 14 times in his first full campaign in Germany’s premier competition.
3. He's not the only member of his family to have turned out for Hannover
Niclas’ younger sister Anna-Lena is another Füllkrug family member who became a regular on the scoresheet in the colours of Hannover 96. Having caught the football bug at a young age, Anna-Lena joined Niclas at the club in 2018, and has hit hatfuls of goals ever since.
She notched an impressive 27 times in 21 Regionallige Nord matches last term. In fact, over 115 games in the competition for Hannover and ESV Fortuna Celle, she has scored at a rate of nearly one a game, hitting the back of the net on 101 occasions.
4. He is a double promotion winner
Werder Bremen announced in April 2019 that Niclas would be returning to his first club for the following campaign, just before then-Werder Director of Football Tim Steidten moved on to Bayer Leverkusen.
Although his second spell at the Wederstadion did not start in the best of circumstances – they were relegated at the end of the COVID-19 affected 2020/21 campaign – he helped them bounce back in style, scoring 19 times in 33 2. Bundesliga matches the following season to seal an immediate bounce back.
5. His golden form continued following promotion
Füllkrug was really finding his groove by now and his rich vein of form showed no sign of letting up once Werder had gained their seat back at the top table. In fact, he ended the 2022/23 season as the Bundesliga joint-top scorer, alongside RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku, having plundered 16 goals in 28 matches. In doing so, he became the first Bremen player to earn that honour since legendary Germany striker Miroslav Klose in 2005/06.
6. He has a unique nickname
Niclas’ nickname is the German word Lücke, which translates as ‘gap’. Why gap? The answer is a rather predictable one – he has a visible gap between two of his upper teeth.
According to an ESPN article, ‘he has has thought about getting an implant, but so far, he keeps the look football fans in Germany are accustomed to and his now-wife Lisa already saw when the two were in primary school together’.
7. He's been a late bloomer for Germany
Niclas’ stellar Werder Bremen form earned him a belated call-up to the senior Germany team in 2022, eight years on from his last involvement with the national U20 side. His ascent was timed perfectly too, as his first cap came just four days before the start of the FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar.
When he came on in that November friendly against Oman, not only did he score, but he became the oldest outfield debutant for his country – at 29 years and 280 days – since 33-year-old Martin Max two decades before. He would go on to score twice at the World Cup, and notched two more at this summer’s home UEFA Euro 2024 tournament. In all, he now has 13 goals in 21 senior caps.
8. He's a UEFA Champions League finalist
His top-level breakthrough might have arrived relatively late, but he has racked up the milestones in recent times. Following that stellar World Cup showing and domestic golden boot, one-time Hammers coach Edin Terzić took him to Borussia Dortmund last summer, where he enjoyed his first taste of UEFA Champions League football. And it was more than just a taste.
After scoring the decisive goal in BVB’s 1-0 semi-final first leg win against Paris St-Germain, he helped them finish the job at the Parc des Princes, and was incredibly unfortunate to end up on the losing side against Real Madrid in the final. In all, he scored 15 times in the 2023/24 campaign for Dortmund and will now bring his goalscoring boots to the Premier League.
