FC Schalke 04 have produced numerous world class talents down the years and with the amount of young talent in the Schalke squad this season, there is no doubt that more world class talent will play for Schalke and go on to possibly bigger and better things.
The Knappenschmiede have produced a lot of notable talents down the years. Current Arsenal player and former Real Madrid player Mesut Ozil once played for Schalke coming through the Knappenschmiede, the twenty-five year old played between 2005-2006 for the Schalke youth team before getting promoted to the first team. For the first team he played thirty times wearing the number seventeen shirt but unfortunately scoring only one goal in the DFB Pokal. In 2008, Mesut Ozil eventually moved on from the Veltins Area and signed for Werder Bremen for €4.3million.
The next success story is torhüter Manuel Neuer, the six foot four goalkeeper was apart of the Knappenschmiede between 1991 and 2005, in 2002/2003 he won some silverware with the Youth Team, beating rivals Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in the Westphalia Cup final. In 2004 he made the step to Schalke II, he made 26 appearances before finally making his debut for the first team in 2006. He went on to make over 150 appearances for Die Koningsblauen, winning the DFB Pokal during the process. In 2011, he was transferred to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich for €22million.
Finally, Benedikt Höwedes he was apart of Knappenschmiede between 2001-2007. He was named captain of the U19’s and lead them to glory helping them lift the U19 Bundesliga in 2006. He made his first professional appearances came in 2007 in the Champions League. In 2011 he was named as die Knappen captain. He has made 165 appearances scoring eight goals for Schalke.
Schalke’s team has an average age of 23.6 years. It is this low due to the amount of youngsters in the squad have been a product of Schalke's youth, mainly down to to Heldt and Keller’s philosophy. There are five players under the age of twenty-one in the current Schalke side, which in some countries all over the world is unheard of. Starting from the back, nineteen year old Turkish defender Kaan Ayhan, made his way onto the scene due to the injury of Benedikt Höwedes. The six foot tall centre back is well known in Germany for his dead-ball ability, as well as being able to hammer the ball in from distance. In fifty-four appearances for the U19’s he scored twenty-four goals. His strengths include blocking shots and he tends to keep the ball on the floor and likes to play to feet. In his five appearances for the senior squad he has seventy-nice percent passing accuracy.
Another young talent currently in the senior squad is Bosnian Sead Kolasinac. The twenty year old will be looking to be on the plane to Brazil. Kolasinac was a product of the youth team in the 2011-2012 season. His debut came at the start of the 2012 season against Greuther Furth. Since then he has went on to make thirty-six appearances. He has been a regular this season with the injury to Atsuto Ushida, his performances this season have been solid and rarely putting a foot wrong.
Leon Goretzka has been played in many different positions this season under Keller, Jens Keller likes to play a ‘4-2-3-1’ system. Goretzka has mostly played as one of the two in front of the back four. Most of Goretzka’s goals this season have came from when he played on the left/right side of the attacking midfielders when there has been a vacancy from; Jefferson Farfan; Max Meyer; Julian Draxler. The six feet, two inch tall midfielder is strong in the aerial duels and isn’t afraid to throw himself into a tackle. When he plays on the wing, he prefers to cut inside onto his favoured right foot which is where his four goals this season have came from.
Julain Draxler who was apart of the Knappenschmiede between 2001 and 2011, that same year he left the youth system at Schalke, he went on to become the fourth youngest Bundesliga player to ever. Despite the interest from Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid, he has remained loyal at the club. Due to niggling injuries that ruled him out for over two months, he has missed a lot of games and has lost form this season. In ninety-seven Bundesliga appearances he has scored fourteen goals assisting seventeen. Draxler likes to play across the attacking midfield, this season he has made twenty-seven appearances playing on the left and right wing and in the centre attacking midfield. His he can beat players with skill and pace, 95 out of 131 take on have been successful this season.
At the end of last season, Keller promoted seventeen (now eighteen) year old Max Meyer into the first team. He made five appearances in the final stages of the Ruckründe. Keller didn’t freeze him out at the start of this season. In this campaign, Meyer has been a shining light throughout the Bundesliga. As for Meyer he plays on the opposite wing to Draxler. At parts of the season he had needed a rest because it is his first full season, in games he has been apart of this season he has been a driving force for Schalke. In twenty-five appearances this season he has scored six goals with three assists. Meyer was apart of the Knappenschmide between 2009-2012, in those three years he has evolved into the talent he is today.
Some of the prospects being developed by Knappenschmiede have been on the bench this season for the Royal Blues. There are a couple of exciting young players to look out for over the coming months/years, hopefully making an appearance for the first team.
Florian Pick is a very exciting player, aged eighteen; he tends to on the left wing. The teenager year old has fast feet and good skill to match. He dances past defenders and cuts in onto his favoured right foot to unleash his powerful shot. He has made twenty-nine appearances for the U19’s this season scoring nice and has three assists to his name.
Leroy Sané is another exciting prospect aged eighteen, his positions on the pitch vary he tends to play in the gap behind the strikers or he can play right wing so he can use his pace to beat the defenders and either cut inside and have a shot or power down the wing to put pressure on the full backs. His favoured position is in the middle of the attacking midfield. In his twenty-nine appearances this season the German/French attacker has scored thirteen goals and laid on his teammates fourteen times. He was on the bench for Schalke’s 2-0 home win against Hertha Berlin on Matchday 28.
Schalke's young talisman is Donis Avdijaj, the seventeen year old has already made thirteen appearances for the German U17’s scoring eleven times and throughout the U19 season he has scored seventeen goals, making him the top scorer in the A-Jgd. Bundesliga West. Avdijaj is a typical striker, can finish with his right or left foot from anywhere in the final third and can poach when needed also he is an aerial threat. One of the brightest sparks coming from Knappenschmiede.
The main objective of the Knappenschmiede is the training of many talents as possible to players who meet the highest demands. The junior department acts as an internal service for the first team and the youth department ensures that constantly reinforce young players to the senior level. The Knappenschmiede spans down various ages, the ages vary from the youth team/U23 to the U9’s.
(Sources: TransferMarkt, Squawka, Who Scored, knappenschmiede.schalke04.de)