Schurrle Adds an Extra String to Mourinho’s Powerful Chelsea Bow
Personal information
Full name: Andre Schurrle
Date of birth: 6 November 1990
Age: 23
Place of birth: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Height: 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position: Forward / Winger
Club information
Current club: Chelsea
Number: 14
Youth career
1995–2006: Ludwigshafener SC
2006–2009: 1. FSV Mainz 05
Senior career
2009–2011: 1. FSV Mainz 05 68 Appearances, 20 goals
2011–2013: Bayer Leverkusen 83 Appearances, 23 goals
2013– Chelsea 29 Appearances, 6 goals
National team
2008–2009 Germany U19 11 Appearances, 4 goals
2009 Germany U20 1 Appearance, 1 goal
2009–2010 Germany U21 4 Appearances, 3 goals
2010– Germany 31 Appearances, 11 goals
Three was the magic number for Chelsea at Craven Cottage on the first day of March as they defeated West London rivals Fulham 3-1.
Three points in the bag, a total of 33 from a possible 39 over the past three months and three goals for Andre Schurrle to cap off a dominant performance.
“Andre is still in a learning period,” Mourinho commented in a post-match interview. “He needs to adapt to the Premier League. Andre in front of the goal is cold. He has cold blood. He’s a really good finisher.”
We’ve heard so much about Schurrle’s midfield colleagues this term. Eden Hazard has dazzled, Oscar has been under the spotlight, having been preferred to the recently departed Juan Mata in the No. 10 role, while Willian has won over his critics.
Now the headlines are Schurrle’s, and it couldn’t have come at a more vital time in Chelsea’s season.
The German international’s hat-trick against Fulham was vital as he looks to make the most of Willian’s time on the sidelines with a suspension.
When Chelsea needed a player to step up and throw down the gauntlet, it was Schurrle who was on hand to strengthen the Blues’ position in the title race.
The Chelsea manager’s logic on his team’s chances of lifting a fourth league title in 10 seasons hasn’t won over too many people so far this season. With Schurrle in this kind of form, it is easy to understand why fans are more optimistic.
The transfer of Schurrle from Bayer Leverkusen was announced on 25 June 2013. The 22-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge from the Bundesliga club, signing a five-year deal, after two fruitful season’s with Leverkusen.
A German international, he began his career at local club Ludwigshafener SC, before moving to Mainz in 2009.
He made his league debut against the team he would go on to serve, playing in a 2-2 draw for Mainz against Leverkusen on the opening day of the 2009/10 season.
The following month, Schurrle showcased his goalscoring pedigree with his first strikes at senior level, netting a brace in a 3-2 win at VFL Bochum.
In what was an impressive first season in the Bundesliga, he was a near ever-present and scored five goals in 34 appearances as Mainz finished ninth.
Just over a year after making his debut for Mainz, however, it was announced that Schurrle had signed a five-year contract with Leverkusen, and would join the club at the culmination of the 2010/11 season.
His second and final season with Mainz saw the youngster bow out in fine fashion, playing a pivotal role as they qualified for the UEFA Europa League by finishing fifth.
Schurrle, who played mainly as a striker, found the target in the first three league games of the campaign, and ended the season with a place in the history books after scoring a club-record 15 goals in 34 appearances.
Having completed his move to Leverkusen, Schurrle scored on his debut in a 4-3 German Cup defeat against Dynamo Dresden.
His league debut came against his former club, with Leverkusen falling to a 2-0 defeat against Mainz, and Schurrle scored his first league goal for the club in October during a 2-2 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach, before getting off the mark in European competition against Valencia a few days later.
Towards the end of the campaign, he scored in a 1-1 draw at Hamburg, and after also netting in a 3-3 draw against Hertha Berlin, he scored the only goal of the game to secure three points at Hoffenheim.
He made 40 appearances during his first season at Leverkusen, scoring nine goals in the process.
Schurrle’s second season at Leverkusen proved more productive in terms of scoring goals, but it was his overall contribution, playing predominantly wide on the left, which continued to impress.
He scored the first goal of his final season at the club in a 3-1 win at Augsburg, and soon after provided a crucial assist for teammate Stefan Kiebling as Leverkusen became the first team to inflict defeat on eventual champions Bayern Munich.
November proved a particularly fruitful period for Schurrle as he netted three times in the space of a fortnight, with goals against Fortuna Dusseldorf, Rapid Vienna and Schalke.
As the season edged towards its conclusion he scored twice in the reverse fixture against Fortuna Dusseldorf, while netting another brace the following month in a 5-0 win over Hoffenheim. Schurrle ended the 2012/13 season, and his time at Leverkusen, having scored 14 goals in 43 matches.
After representing Germany at both Under-19 and Under-21 level, the young attacker earned his first call-up to the senior squad in November 2010, before being handed his debut as a late substitute in a friendly against Sweden.
He scored his first senior international goal in May 2011 in a 2-1 win against Uruguay, and after scoring two more goals in qualification he was named in Joachim Low’s 23-man squad for the 2012 European Championships.
He appeared as a second-half substitute for Lukas Podolski in a 2-1 win over Denmark, before being handed a place in the starting line-up for the quarter-final against Greece.
Germany won that match 4-2 before losing in the semi’s against Italy, Schurrle an unused sub on that occasion. As Germany waltzed to qualification for the 2014 World Cup, Schurrle scored his first hat-trick for his national team in a 5-3 win in Sweden.
Schurrle has featured mainly off the bench during his first season at the club. A versatile attacker, Schurrle can play either as a creative wide player or a central striker. His ability to drift inside from either flank is one of his biggest strengths and he has developed a penchant for scoring goals of the spectacular variety.