Firsts, premieres and debuts – even Germany internationals and World Champions started small. How? Where? When Why? Their first coach, their first position, their first goal, their first title – every day over the next week or so, a DFB-Team player will name their top ten personal firsts here on DFB.de. Today it's the turn of Julian Draxler.
My first kit: It was a Schalke kit, an Olaf Thon one that I got for my birthday. I wore it constantly until my mum told me that I finally had to wash it.
My first club: It was BV Rentfort in Gladbeck, 100 yards from my house. My brother played there and my dad too – he was also a coach at the club. I only played there for a couple of months though – I was four or five.
My first coach: I can’t really remember anymore unfortunately. My first coach at Schalke was Marc Dommer. I recently sent him a couple of autograph cards and wrote “For the Special One” on them.
My first game: I can remember that one very well. We lost 11-1. I didn’t have much passion for football after that as we lost so heavily. The game was in Gladbeck and we played against Zweckel. I scored our only goal. My dad managed to convince me to continue with football.
My first role model: It was Michael Ballack to begin with. Then it was the likes of Zidane, Rivaldo and Raúl, who I’ve now been in regularly contact with since our time together at Schalke.
My first title: The City Championship in Gladbeck. We won an indoor tournament with eight or nine other teams there. It was some time after the 11-1 and we had obviously learnt from it.
My first trip to a stadium: Parkstadion, Schalke vs. Stuttgart. I can’t remember anymore how the game ended but it must have been in 1999. My dad had a season ticket and took me with him for the first time.
Firsts, premieres and debuts – even Germany internationals and World Champions started small. How? Where? When Why? Their first coach, their first position, their first goal, their first title – every day over the next week or so, a DFB-Team player will name their top ten personal firsts here on DFB.de. Today it's the turn of Julian Draxler.
My first kit: It was a Schalke kit, an Olaf Thon one that I got for my birthday. I wore it constantly until my mum told me that I finally had to wash it.
My first club: It was BV Rentfort in Gladbeck, 100 yards from my house. My brother played there and my dad too – he was also a coach at the club. I only played there for a couple of months though – I was four or five.
My first coach: I can’t really remember anymore unfortunately. My first coach at Schalke was Marc Dommer. I recently sent him a couple of autograph cards and wrote “For the Special One” on them.
My first game: I can remember that one very well. We lost 11-1. I didn’t have much passion for football after that as we lost so heavily. The game was in Gladbeck and we played against Zweckel. I scored our only goal. My dad managed to convince me to continue with football.
My first role model: It was Michael Ballack to begin with. Then it was the likes of Zidane, Rivaldo and Raúl, who I’ve now been in regularly contact with since our time together at Schalke.
My first title: The City Championship in Gladbeck. We won an indoor tournament with eight or nine other teams there. It was some time after the 11-1 and we had obviously learnt from it.
My first trip to a stadium: Parkstadion, Schalke vs. Stuttgart. I can’t remember anymore how the game ended but it must have been in 1999. My dad had a season ticket and took me with him for the first time.
My first Bundesliga game: 15th January 2011 against Hamburg. We lost 1-0 and I was subbed on for Ivan Rakitic in the 83rd minute. Everything was simply amazing for me back then. I was with the first team at the training camp for the first time in the January beforehand and then it wasn’t long until I played.
My first professional goal: I came on in extra time in the DFB Cup against Nürnberg two weeks after making my professional debut for Schalke. The ball game to me and I put everything behind it with my left boot. All of a sudden it was 3-2 – and we were in the semi-finals. It’s unbelievable to think that one shot can change everything. With one hit I was in the public eye.
My first international: As was the norm on my debuts – I lost. It was a game against Switzerland shortly before EURO 2012. We scored three but conceded five. I have fond memories of the game despite the scoreline though. I had an amazing feeling throughout and it was just fantastic for me to be at the training camp in Sardinia and the south of France.
