Jonas Hector

Jonas Hector Biography

Jonas Hector, born on 27th May 1990, is a German footballer who represents 1. FC Koln at the club level. The left-back has brilliant interceptions ability and more often than not he comes as the winner in the duals.

Background

Unlike other German internationals, Hector was not a German academy pass-out and played for SV Auersmacher in the fifth division amateur football until 20. Although his incipient talent yielded many interests of the top-teams like Bayern Munich’s second team, FC Saarbrucken, FC Kaiserslautern, FC Koln, the Saarbrucken-lad declined all the offers.

On prolonged persuasion, he joined FC Koln II in July 2010 and came as an 84^th-minute substitution in his first match against Borussia Dortmund II in August 2010.

Two years later, he was handed out a first XI start in his first appearance for the senior team against SpVgg Unterhaching in the first round of DFB Pokal in August 2012. In November of the same year, FC Koln manager revolutionized Hector’s game by handing him left-back role against MSV Duisburg in the Bundesliga.

Debut

Philip Lahm’s retirement from the international football created a void in the German team and a dearth of left-backs in Bundesliga fast-tracked him to the national team with 10 league matches in his testimonials.

Hector came as a 72^nd-minute substitution against Gibraltar in the Euro 2016 qualification in November 2014.

Rise to Glory

On his maiden international first XI start, the German left-back provided two assists in Germany’s 3-1 win over Poland in Euro 2016 qualification in September 2015. Starting as a play-maker and gradually bestowed with the defensive roles; the left-footed player uses his sheer speed to berserk opponent’s defense on the counter.

The calm German hit the winning penalty to beat Italy 6-5 on a roller-coaster penalty shoot-out in the Euro 2016 quarterfinal. Prior to this, he had never taken a penalty at a professional level.

Hector led inexperienced German defense in the 2017 Confederations Cup and floated dangerous crosses in the penalty box on overlapping. He produced a brilliant assistance in the group B encounter against Chile to level the score in Kazan.

Low Points

Hector tore his knee ligaments during a 1-3 loss to Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League in September 2017 and could only return to the actions after a four-month injury lay-off.

Since then, a few new players have come up in the left-back contention in the German national team but he is likely to make to the squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Club Career

Hector is playing for FC Koln in the domestic circuit since 2012 and has extended his contract till 2021 in his first professional club. Although, he was rumored to join Barcelona, Liverpool or Chelsea; the calm German chooses to stay in Cologne.