Name: Max Meyer
Club: Schalke 04
Nationality: German
Position: Midfielder
Who is he?
A product of Schalke’s youth academy,Meyer started out at hometown Rot-Weiß Oberhausen and MSV Duisburg before joining the Gelsenkirchen giants aged 14. He also played futsal in his youth before going pro.
The young playmaker excelled in Schalke’s youth teams. Between 2010 and the start of 2012, he scored 18 times in 35 games for the U17s before stepping up to the U19s at the end of the 2011/12 season, scoring four times in eight games from midfield.
Last season he made his senior Schalke debut but before that February 2013 debut against SV Mainz he had notched a further 17 goals in 21 games for the U19s, winning a Fritz Walter silver medal for his achievements.
Achievements
This season he has been part of the senior Schalke squad although his chances have been limited to late substitute appearances. But with Schalke’s poor form, he may get a chance to show his credentials.
While he waits for a starting place, Meyer has been prolific at international youth level as he has for Schalke’s U17s and U19s.
He has played for Germany’s U15s, U16s, U17s and U18s. He was named best player at the 2012 European U17 Championship and also finished as top scorer. Previous winners of the U17 Golden Player award are Wayne Rooney (2002), Cesc Fabregas (2004), Nuri Sahin (2006) and Toni Kroos (2007).
However recent winners Bojan Krkic (2007) and Connor Wickham of Sunderland (2010) have underwhelmed.
Attributes
A small player at 1m69, he is ideally suited to playing in the hole or out on the wing. He excelled in the hole for Schalke’s youth teams where he showed an eye for a pass. In 2011/12 he made 14 assists for the Schalke U17s and U19s. He also had an assist on his Schalke debut against Mainz.
Similar to players like Mario Gotze, he is an intelligent footballer and exciting dribbler, quick with his feet as well as his mind.
At youth level he has also shown an ability to score almost at will and it will be interesting to see whether he can develop that side of his game at the top level.
Potential
Schalke has produced a number of talented youngsters in the last few years from Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil to Julian Draxler.
Meyer’s achievements, particularly at the U17 Euros suggest he is a player that can go to the very top, although predicting a player’s trajectory is a path laden with minefields.
But he has the raw tools and with a contract running until 2015, he may be best served by extending that deal.
Plays a bit like…Mario Gotze
(ApokalypticGrafiks)
