Julian Draxler Biography
Julian Draxler is one of the greatest talents in German soccer. Even in his early years, he has made a big impact in the German Bundesliga with his team Schalke 04, as well as with the German national team.
Childhood
Julian Draxler was born September 20th, 1993, in Gladbach, Germany. He is the son of Monika and Hans—Jürgen Draxler.
Young Julian began his career playing for BV Rentfort in his hometown Gladbach. At the age of two, he moved to SSV Buer. He spent two good years before he joined German Bundesliga team Schalke 04 in 2001.
Schalke 04
Draxler played for all the youth teams of Schalke 04, before former Schalke coach, Felix Magath, invited him to practice with the senior team for the first time in 2010.
Due to good practice performances, Julian Draxler made his Bundesliga debut on January 15th, 2011 against Hamburg when he was substituted in the 83th minute.
He became the fourth youngest player ever to participate in the highest German league (Bundesliga) and the youngest player in Schalke's Bundesliga history.
Three days after his senior debut, he signed his first professional three-year contract.
His first goal as a senior was a very important one. He scored the 3:2 winner in a German Cup game against Nürnberg and helped Schalke to reach the semifinal of the Cup.
The story of his first Bundesliga goal is also quite unique. On April 1st, 2011 he scored a goal against St. Pauli, but a fan threw a cup on the linesman and the referee abandoned the game.
The authorities of the Bundesliga decided that Schalke was the official winner of the game and that Draxler's goal counted.
Draxler also helped Schalke win the German Cup that season (2010/2011), scoring the 1:0 in the final game against MSV Duisburg. At the end of the season, he extended his contract until 2016.
Draxler was named the best U18 player of the season. Since then he has constantly improved his performances. He played his 100th Bundesliga game on March 9th, 2013, becoming the youngest player ever reaching this mark.
International Career
Draxler did not play for most of the German youth teams. He was called to the U18 team in 2010. His great performances in the Bundesliga helped him become part of the senior team very quickly, though.
He made his senior debut on May 26th, 2012 against Switzerland, but was not part of the German squad for the European Championship.
