“Mein Alter ist Fakt,” Niclas Füllkrug said on Tuesday as he addressed reporters in Herzogenaurach.
The 33-year-old Werder Bremen striker returns to the German national team after a nearly 18-month absence. He is preparing for upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Serbia and the Netherlands under manager Jürgen Klopp.
Füllkrug deflected concerns about his age by invoking his childhood idol and former international teammate. Miroslav Klose was 36 years old when he lifted the World Cup trophy with Germany in Brazil.
“Klose was 36 when he won the World Cup,” Füllkrug noted, describing that milestone as an interesting precedent for veteran strikers.
The veteran forward said the squad has changed since he last played in September 2024. He stated that the team now possesses a completely different face with a palpable internal transformation.
Stints at Borussia Dortmund, West Ham United, and briefly AC Milan changed Füllkrug’s tactical profile over the previous two seasons.
“I had 77 ball contacts in the match against Stuttgart,” Füllkrug said regarding his recent Bundesliga performances. “That is a lot for a center forward.”
Füllkrug pointed to Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane as proof that mature forwards can thrive through selflessness and link-up play. Kane won the Ballon d’Or ahead of younger attackers largely due to his distribution and creative output.
Experience grants older players distinct advantages in timing, spatial awareness, and reaction speed.
Füllkrug’s return coincides with the final weeks of the German Football Association’s historic partnership with Adidas. The more than 70-year relationship based in Herzogenaurach concludes at the end of the year before Nike assumes outfitting duties.
“This special black-and-white jersey with the three stripes on it, in which an era will now end, to wear it once more, to take it home and hang it in my closet,” Füllkrug said, emphasized the emotional weight of wearing the kit one last time.
Germany faces Serbia and the Netherlands in the Nations League group stage matches.
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