The return of Maxi Beister after a ligament injury has given HSV a new and much needed lease of hope in bolstering their attacking options heading into the second half of the season.
Sitting just above the relegation places and having scored just nine goals during the Hinrunde, HSV are in dire need of an offensive catalyst to kick start their season and escape the drop.
It appears that Beister may be exactly what the team are after.
The Hamburg number nine began playing at local youth side VfL Lüneburg at just five years old, having been born and raised in Göttingen, a university town in Lower Saxony.
At the age of 14 he was spotted by scouts from the Rothosen, and quickly became part of the junior setup at Hamburg before graduating into the second team in 2008 (at 18).
Between 2008-2010, Maxi played 41 times for Hamburger SV II, scoring 11 goals and earning a reputation as a powerful winger with an equally powerful shot, and great positioning on the attacking side of the ball.
This got Beister noticed at international level, and on February 11th 2009 he made his debut for Germany at U19 level. Since then he has gone on to play for the U19s five times, the U20s nine times (scoring five) and an impressive 15 times for the U21s, scoring six times.
Beister made his Bundesliga debut on 22 November 2009 against VfL Bochum, completing his 19 year journey to the highest level. However, he wasn't getting regular game time and that was hurting his development. So in 2010 he was loaned to Fortuna Düsseldorf, where he spent two years.
In his spell there, he made 59 appearance, scoring a fantastic 19 goals, affirming what a talent he is. It was the second season (2011/12) in which he was particularly impressive, scoring 11 in 33 league appearances and essentially confirming to the HSV staff that he was ready to step into their plans.
Standing at 5ft11”, his pace and power have caught the eye of many in his appearances for HSV.
He is an injection of life and enthusiasm into any game, and while he hasn't started the majority of games for Hamburg, he has been able to make an impact off the bench that keeps him noticed.
Without too much flair or finesse, like many players of Der Dinosaurier, the bulk of his value and attributes comes from his shot accuracy and power.
That is not to say he is selfish and greedy by any stretch, in fact last season through 16 appearances he scored five and managed six assists. He bagged at least one goal and one assist on three separate occasions, but suffered ligament damage before Matchday 18 that has kept him out over a year.
There are however elements of his game that, if being realistic, need work if he is to maintain a career at the top level of German football, or indeed football in general.
Decision making is something that potentially every footballer (apart from the very elite) need to improve, but in Beister’s case as a winger it is needed. While he has not been particularly bad at shooting instead of passing, for example, his defensive commitment such as tracking back at the right time could do with tweaking.
In addition to this, it would be incredible to see Maxi develop a better passing side to complete his armoury. As an end-product winner who will score 10 a season if given minutes, add a killer pass to his skill set and you literally have a complete winger.
Nevertheless, his return to action in the recent friendly against Eintracht Frankfurt out in the United Arab Emirates was amazing to see and provided light at the end of a very long tunnel.
It took him just ten minutes to make his mark and score with a tidy finish, a goal that will have filled a lot of HSV fans with warmth and hope. He played a good all-round game for someone who has spent a year out.
The total ligament damage, ironically, he contracted while out in the desert a year ago exactly. His recovery is complete, and he reflected upon his return in an interview with Kicker.
"I would not have imagined my comeback like this. This is a crazy story,” said a humble Beister.
He empathised with Lewis Holtby, who is yet another HSV player to suffer a major injury out in the desert.
"I wish the best of luck to Lewis before the surgery. I know how that feels. It is disappointing to him personally, but also for us as a team, because we lose a major offensive power.
"My comeback was a beautiful moment, but I am also missing a lot. Dynamics, competitive toughness, sometimes even courage. I feel that there is still a long way to go to my old form.”
His critical self-analysis is clearly that of a professional who wants to get better, and while there is no doubt the year spent on the sidelines will have impacted his development physically and mentally as a player, his attitude suggests he will make up for lost time no problem.