Youth international Tim Drexler signs long-term contract extension with TSG

"Tim is a great defender with incredible potential. He has recently repeatedly attracted attention thanks to his strong performances for  the Regionalliga team, even though he could still be playing for the U19s, having only been born in 2005. Tim is not only catching the eye with his serene playing style, but also with his impressive speed," said Pirmin Schwegler, head of professional football at TSG, about the defender born in Bruchsal, who was called up to the first team squad for the first time for the match in Dortmund last time out. "We now want to introduce Tim into the first team gradually and with the appropriate care. In the second half of this season, he will continue to collect match practice with the U23s that is indispensable at his age. However, at the same time, he will also regularly train with the first team – with the clear goal of fully integrating him into the Bundesliga squad by the summer at the latest."

"Tim is the latest wonderful example of the typical TSG path from learning at the club's own academy to becoming a serious candidate for the first team," said Bastian Huber, technical director at Hoffenheim. "Tim's story once again shows the close and trusting cooperation between the academy and the first team. Having recently integrated our U17 World Cup winner Max Moerstedt and before that players like Tom Bischof, Umut Tohumcu or Joshua Quarshie into the Bundesliga team, Tim Drexler is now the latest hopeful candidate from the TSG Regionalliga side to be in the frame for a place in our Bundesliga squad. In recent years, Tim has played for all of TSG's youth teams and has already had to overcome serious obstacles in the form of injuries. Under U23 head coach Vincent Wagner and his team, he has stabilised excellently and continued to develop really well. We are looking forward to accompanying him in the next steps in his career over the coming years."

Tim Drexler joined the TSG Hoffenheim academy at the age of 11 and has since gone through all the youth teams in the Kraichgau. This season, he has been an integral part and regular starter for Hoffenheim's Regionalliga team and was also recently called up by head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo for the matchday squad of the first team for the away game at Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 23 of the current season, which TSG won 3-2. In his still young career, Drexler has played a total of 19 games for the TSG Regionalliga team, scoring 1 goal, and has represented his country at all youth levels since the U16s. The 18-year-old centre-back is currently playing for the German U19 national team.