West Ham United signed Germany international centre-forward Niclas Füllkrug on a four-year contract in August 2024.
Born in Hanover, Füllkrug had spent his entire professional career in his homeland before moving to east London, scoring over 120 goals for five different clubs, including over 50 in the Bundesliga and three in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League to help Borussia Dortmund reach the final.
Füllkrug has also scored regularly since making his debut for Germany at the age of 29 in 2022, including two each at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024.
Career
Born in Hanover, Germany, on 9 February 1993...Spent nine years with Hanover-based club TuS Ricklingen until turning 12...Had a short spell at Sportfreunde Ricklingen between 2005-06 before joining Werder Bremen's Academy at 14...Scored at a prolific rate for Werder Bremen's U17s and U19s...Debuted for Werder Bremen II in the 3. Bundesliga in a 2-1 defeat at Wehen Wiesbaden on 23 July 2011, aged 18...Scored his first senior goals in a 3-2 3. Bundesliga victory at Babelsberg on 15 October 2011...Made his first-team debut for Werder Bremen in a 1-1 home draw with Bayer Leverkusen on 28 January 2012, aged 18...Scored on his first Bundesliga start for Werder Bremen in a 1-1 home draw with Augsburg on 24 March 2012...Netted his first senior hat-trick in a 4-2 Regionalliga Nord victory over Goslarer SC on 17 October 2012...Spent the 2013/14 season on loan with 2. Bundesliga club Greuther Fürth...Joined 2. Bundesliga club 1. FC Nürnberg on a permanent basis in summer 2014 and netted 14 goals in 30 2. Bundesliga games in the 2015/16 season...Transferred to hometown club Hannover 96 in summer 2016...After winning promotion in his first season, scored 14 goals in 34 Bundesliga appearances in 2017/18...Returned to Werder Bremen in summer 2019...Suffered relegation in 2020/21, but then scored 19 goals to lead the club to promotion back to the Bundesliga the following season...Netted a joint-best 16 Bundesliga goals for Werder Bremen in 2022/23, and was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season...Scored his first goal for Germany with the winner in a 1-0 friendly victory in Oman on 16 November 2022...Scored for Germany in the FIFA World Cup group-stage ties against Spain and Costa Rica at Qatar 2022...Joined Borussia Dortmund in summer 2023 and scored 15 goals in all competitions in his sole season at the club, including three in the UEFA Champions League...Started Borussia Dortmund's 2024 UEFA Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid...Scored in Germany's UEFA Euro 2024 group-stage ties with Scotland and Switzerland on home turf.
Honours
Bundesliga Player of the Month (September 2022)
Bundesliga Team of the Season (2022/23)