.jpg) Füllkrug withWerder Bremen in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Niclas Füllkrug[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1993-02-09)9 February 1993 (age 32)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Hanover, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | West Ham United | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2005 | TuS Ricklingen[4] | ||
| 2005–2006 | Sportfreunde Ricklingen[4] | ||
| 2006–2012 | Werder Bremen[4] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2014 | Werder Bremen II | 26 | (10) |
| 2012–2014 | Werder Bremen | 23 | (2) |
| 2013–2014 | →Greuther Fürth (loan) | 21 | (6) |
| 2014–2016 | 1. FC Nürnberg | 54 | (17) |
| 2016–2019 | Hannover 96 | 75 | (21) |
| 2019–2023 | Werder Bremen | 90 | (45) |
| 2023–2024 | Borussia Dortmund | 29 | (12) |
| 2024– | West Ham United | 25 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2010 | Germany U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Germany U19 | 7 | (5) |
| 2012–2014 | Germany U20 | 9 | (3) |
| 2022– | Germany | 24 | (14) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:16, 22 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 15:36, 8 June 2025 (UTC) | |||
Niclas Füllkrug (born 9 February 1993) is a German professionalfootballer who plays as aforward forPremier League clubWest Ham United and theGermany national team.
AWerder Bremen youth star, Füllkrug started his senior career with theclub's reserves. Following appearances with the first team in the Bundesliga and a loan to2. Bundesliga sideGreuther Fürth in the 2013–14 season, he moved to1. FC Nürnberg. His performances at Nürnberg earned him a move toHannover 96 in 2016. In April 2019, he returned to Werder Bremen for the 2019–20 season and played there for four seasons before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2023. After one season with Borussia Dortmund, he moved abroad for the first time, joining the English side West Ham United in 2024.
A former German youth international, he received a call-up to theGermany senior national team in November 2022, which he went on to represent at the2022 FIFA World Cup andUEFA Euro 2024.
Füllkrug spent eight years with TuS Ricklingen in theRicklingen district ofHanover,[5] where he was coached by his father.[6] During his time there he scored an average of 160 goals per season.[6] When he joinedWerder Bremen at the age of 14 in summer 2006, he rejected offers from fiveBundesliga clubs, includingHannover 96.[6]
Having progressed through Werder Bremen's youth system, Füllkrug began his senior career withthe club's reserves.
On 24 August 2013, he joinedGreuther Fürth on a one-year loan deal.[7][8] On 2 November 2013, he scored four goals including a 12-minutehat-trick for his new club during a spectacular 6–2 away win atErzgebirge Aue.[9] Having scored six goals in 18 appearances, he sustained a ligament rupture in his right ankle in a 2–0 win againstVfL Bochum which was expected to keep him out of action for three to four weeks.[10]
In 2014, Füllkrug joined1. FC Nürnberg permanently having agreed a "long-term" contract,[11] with a reported duration of three years.[12] Werder Bremen secured an option to re-sign him for a fixed fee.[12]
Füllkrug joined Hannover 96 on a four-year contract in July 2016. Nürnberg received a reported transfer fee of €2 million plus 1 million in possible bonuses.[13][14]
He failed to score in his first eight Bundesliga appearances for Hannover 96 but hit a hat-trick againstMainz 05 on 13 January 2018[15][16] in a run of goals that got his name mentioned with a call up to the Germany national squad.[17] He scored 14 goals in his first season with the club.[18]
In summer 2018,Borussia Mönchengladbach offered €18 million for Füllkrug, and he also had offers from English clubs. However, Hannover decided to keep Füllkrug and in August it was announced that he had agreed to a contract extension until 2022.[18][19]
On 30 September 2018, in a match againstEintracht Frankfurt, he was substituted off with an ankle injury,[20][21] but was able to play in the following match, a 3–1 win againstVfB Stuttgart which moved Hannover up from the last place in the league table.[22][23] He also featured in a 2–2 away draw againstBayer Leverkusen[24] and a 2–1 home defeat againstFC Augsburg[25] despite suffering from pain in his knee. He did not play in Hannover 96's loss in the second round of theDFB-Pokal on 30 October due to knee problems relating back to an injury sustained in 2013. ManagerAndré Breitenreiter stated that the issue had been plaguing Füllkrug for years and that the pain was so severe before the cup match that Füllkrug did not feel "safe".[26] After consulting a specialist[27] Füllkrug returned to training on 20 November[28] and started in four consecutive matches.[29][30][31][32]
A few days after Füllkrug missed a match againstSC Freiburg due to knee problems,[33] it was announced that the injury was severe and he would likely be out for the rest of the season.[34] The injury required surgery and was revealed to be cartilage damage to his right knee, the third injury of this kind of his career. He previously suffered cartilage damage at Werder Bremen (January 2013, right knee) and 1. FC Nürnberg (March 2015, left knee).[35]
In April 2019, it was announced Füllkrug would return to former club Werder Bremen for the 2019–20 season. There were conflicting reports of the fee paid to Hannover 96 with Deichstube reporting €6.3 million plus a possible 500,000 in bonuses[36] and Sportbuzzer claiming 7 million.[37] 1. FC Nürnberg also profited from the transfer through a 10% sell-on clause.[38] Füllkrug suffered another knee injury in September 2019, and missed several months.[39] He played only 11 games in his first season, scoring 4 goals.[40]
On 26 September 2020, he scored his second Bundesliga hat-trick in a 3–1 away win againstSchalke 04.[41]
At the start of the2021–22 season, Füllkrug lost his place to new signingMarvin Ducksch. However, onceOle Werner became coach, Füllkrug and Ducksch began playing together and formed an effective partnership.[42] Füllkrug scored 19 goals in the2. Bundesliga which helped his club to be promoted back to the Bundesliga.[43] In the beginning of the2022–23 Bundesliga, he scored 10 goals in 14 matches, which urged the Germany national coachHansi Flick to call him up for theWorld Cup in November.[44] He eventually managed to score 16 goals in that season to finish as joint top scorer along withChristopher Nkunku, making him the first top scorer to play for Bremen sinceMiroslav Klose in2005–06.[45]
On 31 August 2023, Bundesliga clubBorussia Dortmund announced the signing of Füllkrug on a three-year contract,[46] for a reported fee of €13 million + €2 million in add-ons.[47]
On 29 September, he scored his first goal at the club in a 3–1 away win overHoffenheim.[48] On 7 November, he scored his firstUEFA Champions League goal in a 2–0 victory overNewcastle United.[49] On 28 January 2024, he netted his first hat-trick for the club, including two penalties, in a 3–1 victory over Bochum.[50] He became the third player ever afterMiroslav Klose andMario Gómez to score hat-tricks for three different Bundesliga sides.[51] On 17 April, he netted a goal to tie the game againstAtlético Madrid and eventually help them progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in eleven years.[52] On 1 May, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory overParis Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final first leg.[53] In thefinal, he scored a header ruled-out by theVAR in a 2–0 loss toReal Madrid.[54]
Füllkrug finished off fifth in theBundesliga with his team. In his first and only season at the club, he played 43 matches, in which he was involved in 26 goals throughout all competitions.[55]
On 5 August 2024, Füllkrug joinedPremier League teamWest Ham United for a reported fee of £27 million on a four-year contract.[56][57] On 17 August, he made his debut for the club, as a substitute, in a 2–1 loss againstAston Villa in the league.[58]
On 3 December 2024, he scored his first goal for the club, a header, in a 3–1 loss toLeicester City, after having been injured for over two months.[59]
On 4 January 2025, he scored a goal against Manchester City in a 4–1 loss, shortly before suffering a further injury.[60]
On 5 April 2025, Füllkrug came on as a substitute for West Ham United and scored a header againstBournemouth, after having been injured again for just over three months. West Ham United resulted in a 2–2 draw against Bournemouth after trailing behind 1–0 at half time.[61]
In November 2022, Füllkrug received his first call-up to theGermany national team for theFIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.[62] He made his debut in a friendly match againstOman as a substitute and scored in the process.[63] Coincidentally, Füllkrug also became the oldest outfield player to make his debut for Germany in 20 years, aged 29 years and 280 days afterMartin Max – who was 33 years and 253 days old when he made his debut for Germany in 2002.[64]
On 27 November, he scored his first World Cup goal for Germany in a 1–1 draw againstSpain.[65] On 1 December, he scored a goal in a 4–2 win overCosta Rica. However, Germany was eliminated from the group stage as they finished third on goal difference.[66]
Füllkrug was named in the Germany squad forUEFA Euro 2024.[67] On 14 June 2024, he made his European Championship debut as a 63rd minute substitute and scored five minutes later as the tournament hosts beatScotland 5–1 in the opening match of the tournament.[68][69] On 23 June, Füllkrug scored a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1–1 draw againstSwitzerland in the last group stage match, securing his team's qualification to the knockout phase on top of their group.[70]
Füllkrug's nickname is "Lücke" (German for "gap") because of his front teeth.[16] He has a wife named Lisa,[16] and a daughter born in 2019.[71] His sister, Anna-Lena, plays as a striker forHannover 96, while his grandfather Gerd used to play forSV Arminia Hannover.[72]
Following an accident at Werder Bremen's training ground he once ended up hospitalised with the tooth of his teammate wedged in his forehead.[16]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Werder Bremen II | 2011–12 | 3. Liga | 22 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 5 | ||||
| 2012–13 | Regionalliga Nord | 4 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 5 | |||||
| Total | 26 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 10 | ||||||
| Werder Bremen | 2011–12 | Bundesliga | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 13 | 2 | ||||
| 2013–14 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 23 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 25 | 3 | |||||
| Greuther Fürth (loan) | 2013–14 | 2. Bundesliga | 21 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2[c] | 0 | 24 | 6 | ||
| 1. FC Nürnberg | 2014–15 | 2. Bundesliga | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 25 | 3 | |||
| 2015–16 | 2. Bundesliga | 30 | 14 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2[c] | 0 | 34 | 15 | |||
| Total | 54 | 17 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 59 | 18 | ||||
| 1. FC Nürnberg II | 2015–16 | Regionalliga Bayern | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Hannover 96 | 2016–17 | 2. Bundesliga | 27 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 29 | 5 | |||
| 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 34 | 14 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 36 | 16 | ||||
| 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 15 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 75 | 21 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | 80 | 24 | |||||
| Werder Bremen | 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2[c] | 0 | 11 | 4 | ||
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 19 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 6 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 2. Bundesliga | 33 | 19 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 19 | ||||
| 2022–23 | Bundesliga | 28 | 16 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 30 | 16 | ||||
| 2023–24 | Bundesliga | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 90 | 45 | 7 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 99 | 46 | ||||
| Borussia Dortmund | 2023–24 | Bundesliga | 29 | 12 | 1 | 0 | — | 13[d] | 3 | — | 43 | 15 | ||
| West Ham United | 2024–25 | Premier League | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 3 | ||
| 2025–26 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 3 | ||||
| Career total | 340 | 116 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 381 | 125 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | |||
| 2022 | 4 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 9 | 7 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 24 | 14 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 November 2022 | Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex,Muscat, Oman | 1 |  Oman | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 27 November 2022 | Al Bayt Stadium,Al Khor, Qatar | 3 |  Spain | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| 3 | 1 December 2022 | Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar | 4 |  Costa Rica | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| 4 | 25 March 2023 | Mewa Arena,Mainz, Germany | 5 |  Peru | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 6 | 28 March 2023 | RheinEnergieStadion,Cologne, Germany | 6 |  Belgium | 1–2 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 7 | 12 June 2023 | Weserstadion,Bremen, Germany | 7 |  Ukraine | 1–0 | 3–3 | Friendly |
| 8 | 14 October 2023 | Pratt & Whitney Stadium,East Hartford, United States | 10 |  United States | 2–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 17 October 2023 | Lincoln Financial Field,Philadelphia, United States | 11 |  Mexico | 2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 10 | 18 November 2023 | Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany | 12 |  Turkey | 2–2 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 11 | 26 March 2024 | Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Germany | 15 |  Netherlands | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 12 | 14 June 2024 | Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany | 17 |  Scotland | 4–0 | 5–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
| 13 | 23 June 2024 | Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Germany | 19 |  Switzerland | 1–1 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
| 14 | 7 September 2024 | Merkur Spiel-Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany | 22 |  Hungary | 1–0 | 5–0 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
Borussia Dortmund
Individual
Germany squads | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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