Bench-warmer. Robert Lewandowski's understudy. Keeping Jurgen Klopp and fellow substitutes company. Despite a Supercup win and a Champions League runners-up medal, Julian Schieber's two-year spell at Dortmund on a personal and individual level was one of failure. He scored just 6 goals in 57 appearances for Die Schwarzgelben, and most of those showings came off the bench. He and everybody associated with the club knew that this summer was the right time to move on, even with Lewandowski going to Bayern. He was never going to challenge new forwards Ciro Immobile, Adrian Ramos and Ji-Dong Won for the strikers' position.
At 25-years old, Schieber needed to get his career back on track; a new challenge, a new adventure, a new club. Hertha Berlin provided that opportunity, and after just two appearances for the club, he is already halfway towards his goalscoring tally during his time at Dortmund. He marked his competitive debut with a goal during Hertha's 4-2, DFB-Pokal 1st round victory against Viktoria Koln. He then marked his league debut for the capital club with a brace against Bremen. Although the Northerners would come from two goals down to take a point home, Schieber's individual performance left smiles on the faces of his new supporters, and could be the signal for things to come.
Hertha, in many ways, have had a summer transfer market similar to that of Schieber's former employers Dortmund. They've lost their two main men in the striking department. Ramos of course swapped blue and white for black and yellow, whilst Pierre-Michel Lasogga's successful season on loan with Hamburg was made into a permanent stay with the Bundesliga's only ever-present club. It was a huge gap to fill for Jos Luhukay, and he needed replacements who were looking to prove a point, score the goals and most importantly, give everything for the team. Schieber ticks all of those boxes.
Schieber is unlikely to get the world talking about his goal-scoring exploits, but he will be a valuable new asset in a season of what will be consolidation for Hertha, as they look to shake off the tag of being Germany's 'yo-yo' club in recent times. Yet becoming the main man in the forward department at Hertha will rejuvenate Schieber and he will enjoy the pressure of a new challenge and proving his doubters wrong. A new opportunity. A new lease of life. A second chance. For 25-year old Schieber, he is going to do his utmost to take it.