Now he is eligible to play! On Wednesday, Union wonderkid Linus Günther celebrates his 16th birthday – and is therefore allowed to play in the Bundesliga. A milestone for the 2010 generation, which is causing excitement in Köpenick.
During the international break, Günther trained with the professionals for the first time. Speed, technique, courage: The winger impressed Eisern coach Steffen Baumgart (54) and the team. Baumgart: “My first impression was that he is very small and still a little boy. When you train a men’s team and a 15-year-old comes in, you first say: Oops.” But the picture quickly changed. “Then he trains with us, shows what he can do with the ball – and has quickly earned a lot of respect. You can see that in our guys too,” says the coach.
Now Günther is eligible to play. Meaning: he could already be in the Bundesliga squad for the first time on Saturday (3:30 pm) in Heidenheim.
Günther already has an equipment contract with Adidas
Union has taken precautions for this. According to SPORT BILD, the club carried out all necessary examinations for DFL eligibility at the Berlin Charité two weeks ago. A clear signal: the officials trust him with the next step.
So Baumgart is planning with Günther now
Baumgart’s plan: “We will do everything to keep him with us, to build him up, so that we may also have a lot of joy in our area, in the Bundesliga area,with him. Yet the coach is cautious: “Training with a Bundesliga team at the age of 15. I think that is not common. This is not just a small step, but from my point of view a very, very big step. We should make sure that the big steps do not become too big.”
On Wednesday, the focus is first on the birthday. Baumgart: “Then we congratulate him and sing a nice song.” At the same time, the coach knows the potential in him: “There are footballers who are hard to stop. If he stays healthy, stays clear and continues to love football as much as he does now, he can have a great career. But he is still a little boy who loves football a lot.”
