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Personal Information
| Full Name | Leon Christoph Goretzka |
| Date of Birth | February 6, 1995 |
| Nationality | Germany |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.89 m) |
| Role | Midfielder |
| Past Team(s) | |
| Family | Konrad Goretzka (Father) |
Leon Goretzka News
Leon Goretzka: A Brief Biography
Leon Goretzka Biography
Leon Goretzka is a German football player who was born on February 6, 1995, in Bochum, Germany. He plays as a central midfielder in his team but sometimes, he can be spotted in the right mid-field as well.
Goretzka currently plays for Germany and Schalke 04 Football Club of the Bundesliga. He has represented other clubs like VfL Bochum in junior level football. He has won the Fritz Walter Medal in U-17 category in the year 2012.
Background
Leon was an aggressive footballer right from the beginning of his junior games. He played his first match for Germany U-16 in 2010 against Northern Ireland. He scored a goal in that match as the Germans won the match 3-2.
Progressive as he was, he went on to represent the Germany U-17 team and scored 5 goals in the 17 appearances he made that season. Three goals in the friendly matches and two more in 2012 Europameisterschaft Tournament gave him a spot in U-19 and the U-21 teams as well.
Debut
Leon Goretzka made his senior debut for Germany against Poland in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The match ended in a goalless draw as Leon suffered a muscle injury in that match. This injury kept him away from the rest of the tournament.
Rise to Glory
After making his debut, Leon had to return to club matches to prove his skills. He entered during the 2016 Rio Olympics as captain of the German team. However, in the first match itself, he was injured again.
He was again picked up for the 2017 Confederations Cup and was able to make an impact. He scored his first international goal in the group stage against Australia on June 19, 2017. The Germans won the match 3-2.
He went on to score two more goals in the semi-finals. These goals came in under 10 minutes of the start of the game, which is enough to show his aggressive nature on the field. Later on, the Germans won the tournament. He received a Silver Boot and the Bronze Ball for his performance in the tournament.
Leon also played in the 2017 FIFA World Cup Qualifications and scored three goals in the tournament. He scored one goal against Norway and two against Azerbaijan as the Germans finished at the top of the tournament.
Low Points
Leon had to wait for three years for his first goal in the international football. His previous two appearances had given him injuries and had to undergo hard training, again and again, to make his way back. The 2014-15 was a goal-less season for him as he had recovered from a muscle injury that same year.
Club Career
Leon is an active star player of the Bundesliga and has been playing for Schalke 04 since the 2012-13 season. He has been a good player throughout his appearances except in the 2014-15 season. He has a total of 19 goals in 119 appearances that he has made so far. The 2017-18 is his last season with Schalke FC as he will be joining the Bayern Munich FC from July 2018.
