Niklas Hoffmann

Niklas Hoffmann
Personal information
Date of birth (1997-04-09) 9 April 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Landau, Germany
Height 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back, defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Waldhof Mannheim
Number 6
Youth career
0000–2007 TSV Fortuna Billigheim-Ingenheim
2007–2016 Karlsruher SC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2017 Karlsruher SC II 23 (0)
2016–2017 Karlsruher SC 0 (0)
2017–2019 SC Freiburg II 25 (2)
2019–2020 FC St. Pauli II 16 (0)
2019–2020 FC St. Pauli 5 (0)
2020–2022 Würzburger Kickers 43 (1)
2022–2024 SV Horn 44 (4)
2024– Waldhof Mannheim 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 October 2024

Niklas Hoffmann (born 9 April 1997) is a German professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for 3. Liga club Waldhof Mannheim.[2]

Career

Born in Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hoffmann began playing football at TSV Fortuna Billigheim-Ingenheim in Südliche Weinstraße.[3] At age 10, he joined the youth academy of Karlsruher SC after impressing at a youth tournament.[3]

Hoffmann played with the youth teams of Karlsruhe in the Under 17 and Under 19 Bundesliga, as he led the U19s as team captain during his final season in that age group. During this time, he had already been selected for the first-team squad five times and once for the second team. In June 2016, he signed a three-year professional contract.[3]

Failing to break through to the first team, Hoffmann moved to SC Freiburg in the summer of 2017, where he competed in the second team in the Regionalliga Südwest.[4] Hoffmann ended the 2017–18 season in fourth place in the league with Freiburg II.

In the winter break of the following season, Hoffmann was signed by FC St. Pauli. As part of their second team, he successfully avoided relegation from the Regionalliga Nord.[5] After the defender was able to make his debut for the first team in a first round win in the DFB-Pokal over VfB Lübeck in June 2019, head coach Jos Luhukay utilised him increasingly in the 2. Bundesliga due to injuries to regular starters.

After five 2. Bundesliga and 15 Regionalliga appearances for the Kiezkicker, Hoffmann moved to 3. Liga side Würzburger Kickers in late January 2020. There, he received a contract valid until 30 June 2021, with an option for an additional year.[6]

Following Würzburger Kickers' relegation to the Regionalliga Bayern in the 2022–23 season, Hoffmann joined Austrian Second League club SV Horn on 2 July 2022.[7]

On 22 May 2024, Hoffmann agreed to return to Germany and join Waldhof Mannheim in 3. Liga.[8]

Honours

Würzburger Kickers

References

  1. ^ "Niklas Hoffmann". FC St. Pauli (in German). Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  2. ^ Niklas Hoffmann at WorldFootball.net
  3. ^ a b c Putzing, Peter (8 June 2016). "KSC-Interview mit Hoffmann: "Es wird alles andere als einfach, aber ich versuche alles"". ka-news.de (in German). Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  4. ^ Kaufhold, Matthias (25 June 2017). "Zwei Neuzugänge für die zweite Mannschaft des SC Freiburg". Badische Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  5. ^ Kormanjos, Dennis (27 June 2019). ""Kiezkickerchen" mit acht Neuzugängen gestartet". Fussifreunde (in German). Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Der FC Würzburger Kickers verpflichtet Defensivspezialist Niklas Hoffmann vom FC St. Pauli". Würzburger Kickers (in German). 28 January 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Herzlich Willkommen SEBASTIAN BAUER und NIKLAS HOFFMANN beim SV HORN! Mit | SV HORN". SV Horn (in Austrian German). 2 July 2022. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  8. ^ "INNENVERTEIDIGER NIKLAS HOFFMANN VERSTÄRKT DEN SVW" [CENTRE-BACK NIKLAS HOFFMANN STRENGTHENS SVW] (in German). SV Waldhof Mannheim. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.