If anyone watched the World Cup final, the main talking point before and for the first half was Christoph Kramer. After replacing Sami Khedira and then getting concussed with half an hour, it's fair to say he lept onto the screen. The defensive midfielder stands at a lofty 1.90m and is a sturdy figure weighing 82 kilos. At 23, Kramer is enjoying his time with Borussia Monchengladbach (on a 2 year loan from Bayer 04 Leverkusen) and the sky is the limit for the Solingen youngster.
Where it all began
Born in 1991 in Solingen, Germany, Kramer joined local club BV Graefrath in 1995. Just four years later, at the tender age of nine, he'd be scooped up by Bayer Leverkusen's youth program. Gabi and Peter - Christoph's parents - told their local newspaper: "At an indoor tournament in Monheim, suddenly two men with business cards from Bayer Leverkusen stood in front of us."
However, despite recognition at such a young age, Kramer was released from Leverkusen’s youth squad at 15 years of age, in 2006. He went on to spend his next two years with Fortuna Duesseldorf, and during this time he grew an astonishing 30cm taller, which sparked Leverkusen U-19 manager Sascha Lewandowski to bring Kramer back to the BayArena. After another two years at youth level, Kramer finally signed a senior contract with Bayer Leverkusen and was promoted to Bayer Leverkusen II.
Bochum, Gladbach and die Mannschaft
Promoted to the senior side in 2011, he was immediately sent on a 2 year loan spell to 2.Bundesliga side VfL Bochum to gain experience, and promptly fell in love with the club. "In Bochum I have many people I'm fond of," he told Westdeutsche Zeitung in January. "When I think back [on my time there], it gives me a lot of strength. I always have something from VfL for everyone. A pair of pants or a shirt -- I sleep in them." 61 appearances and 4 goals with the North Rhine-Westphalian club in his 2 year spell caught the attention of Borussia Monchengladbach boss Lucien Favre, and a 2 year loan deal to Die Fohlen was quickly constructed in 2013.
He'd score on his debut for Borussia, while adding two more towards the end of the season after 33 appearances for Die Fohlen. And the young man, who had not been called up for any Germany youth caps in 2013 despite nine previous appearances for the under-19 and under-20 squads, suddenly found himself on Loew's radar. The DFB coach, unable to pick Dortmund or Bayern players due to their DFB-Pokal final in late May, chose an up-and-coming squad for their Poland friendly. More than anyone else, Kramer excelled. "He covers a lot of ground in central midfield, is very confident on the ball and I've had a very positive impression of him," said Loew of the defensive midfielder pre-World Cup.
And what a World Cup he had. Although he didn't exactly stand out amongst the likes of Thomas Muller & co., he quietly made his mark on the world stage, in particular during the final againt Argentina, when he was concussed mid way through the first half and proceeded to play on for several minutes after. Cue some hilarious tales from his team mates, who report that he asked Manuel Neuer to let him play in goals, asked Philip Lahm for the captain's armband, referred to Thomas Mullar as "Gerd" and congratulated him on the 1974 World Cup final, and asked the referee if he really was playing in the World Cup final. Nonetheless, a sterling effort rewarded in a World Cup medal, and Kramer has only progressed from there.
Hard working, accurate passing and clever in possession would be three accurate ways of summing up Kramer's style of play. The world is his oyster, and this could yet be the year that Kramer progresses from dynamic youth to world superstar.