At the age of ten, Timo Werner idolized the striker Mario Gomez. At that time, Gomez was a celebrated goalscorer in the professional team of VfB Stuttgart, where Werner played in the youth ranks and was sometimes allowed to be a ball boy during Bundesliga games on the weekends. Gomez also wore the national team jersey. In Werner’s opinion, only real stars wore that. From up close, he paid attention to every movement of the then VfB striker, his routes and shots at goal. “Gomez was a real idol, the ultimate striker back then,” said Werner in an interview with the FAZ and stated that Gomez had an influence on his own, i.e. Werner’s, development that should not be underestimated.
The irony of the story is that almost twenty years later it is Mario Gomez again who lays an important stone in Timo Werner’s career mosaic. In his role as Technical Director of Red Bull Soccer, he announced Werner’s move from RB Leipzig to Tottenham Hotspur. Werner will initially stay in London on loan until the summer. What happens next is unclear.
