Julian Draxler: Scout Report - The next big Bundesliga talent
Julian Draxler
We’ve learnt in the past few years that Germany produces some of the best talents of World football. It is the DFB’s insistence on home-grown talents that has seen the national team flourish, and clubs like Bayern Munich to dominate the European stage. A look through the sides in the Bundesliga throws up a whole host of emerging talents. But the one that catches the eye more than all the others, is a certain Julian Draxler.
Who is Julian Draxler?
After stints with amateur sides, Draxler joined his boyhood club Schalke as a 9-year-old. Being a supporter of the club, his passion has been translated onto the football pitch as well. He became a regular with the Schalke youth sides playing for the U-17s in the 2008/09 season scoring 5 and setting up 2. These stats doubled when he was promoted to the U-19 side (mind you still only 16 years old), as he scored 11 goals and created 6. He thus had to alternate between his school and Schalke, even as a first team call-up was imminent.
After developing through the youth sides, he was given his debut in the 2010/11 season by Felix Magath, becoming the youngest ever player to appear for Schalke’s first team. A week later he got his first start, playing under an hour against Hannover in a 1-0 victory. In the midst of his progress, Magath lost his job at Schalke and was replaced by Ralf Ragnick. A change of managers at an early stage would usually dent a players progress, but Ragnick continued from where Magath had left off. He called Draxler on as a substitute in his first game in charge, and the youngster didn’t disappoint, scoring against St.Pauli to earn a 2-0 victory. It was his first senior goal, and the only one he’d score that season.
Important for Draxler’s progress the regular run of appearances he was given in the knock-out rounds of the Champions League before finally make his debut in the tournament, playing the full 90 minutes at Old Trafford against Manchester United in their second leg semi-finals.
At the start of the 2011/12 campaign, Ralf Ragnick stepped down as Schalke boss due to health reasons and was replaced by Huub Stevens. The new boss too was impressed by Julian Draxler as he regularly appeared for the first team. Draxler was flourishing in the first team, setting up goals for one of his self-confessed favourite players, Raul. Draxler would score twice and create six goals that campaign, as he made a total of 30 appearances. He also scored his first goals in Europe, scoring twice in the Europa League group stage. After progressing through the U-18s and U-19s for Germany, he made his debut for the U-21 side at the age of 18, against Cyprus.
It was in the 2012/13 campaign that the world stopped and took note of Julian Draxler, the player was in the provisional squad for Germany’s Euro campaign but never made the final cut. After an unimpressive start to the season, Schalke went on a run of 6 games with no win, losing 4 in that time. The Board sacked Huub Stevens in the winter break and he was replaced by current boss, Jens Keller.
As he did under Rangnick, Julian Draxler scored in Jens Kellers’ first match in charge; a thrilling 5-4 victory over Hannover. He would score his first brace against Wolfsburg, following that up with a goal in the Revier derby as Schalke overcame rivals Dortmund 2-1 at the Veltins-Arena. Draxler had well and truly announced himself in the footballsphere; he even scored in the Champions League (interestingly though, he didn’t appear in both home and away ties against Arsenal, a club thought to be long time admirers of the youngster). He finished the campaign with 10 league goals and a goal each in the Champions League & DFB-Pokal.
Draxler was on the bench for Germany against Argentina prior to the start of the 12/13 campaign, making his debut in the next fixture against Netherlands. His first goal came against USA, in another friendly, as Germany lost 4-3 to Klinsmann’s men.
Following Lewis Holtby’s sale to Spurs the previous season, Draxler has been transitioned into his more favourable central role this season. Schalke have a talented squad, improved by the signing of Kevin-Prince Boateng, but Draxler has earned himself a regular starting place in Kellers’s side. He has been impressive so far in the campaign as Schalke again have the Champions League to compete in; Draxler will be looking to impress Joachim Low and earn a call-up to the World Cup in Brazil.