Bundesliga
Who is Joshua Zirkzee?
bundesliga.com shines the spotlight on former Bayern Munich youngster, Joshua Zirzkee, who immediately made headlines as a teenager by scoring with his very first Bundesliga touch.
Data correct as of 12 July 2024
Age: 23
Club: Bologna
Position: Forward
Country: Netherlands (2 caps)
Key stats
Born in Schiedam, on the outskirts of Rotterdam, Zirkzee began playing with local clubs Hekelinger and Spartaan '20 as a boy before being scouted by Den Haag. At 15, he moved to Dutch giants Feyenoord, but it was only a year later that Bayern came calling, and the highly rated youngster was soon packing his bags for Säbener Straße.
"Bayern's plan for me sounded very good," Zirkzee told Panna! magazine. "It seemed like the best option to improve. The training is different from the Netherlands or England, there are lots of extra sessions. We work on finishing, especially, which is very important to me."
After arriving in Germany in 2017, Zirkzee worked his way up through Bayern's U17s and U19s to the reserves, picking up invaluable advice from fellow countryman Arjen Robben. He travelled to the USA with the senior squad in 2018 as part of their pre-season tour, scoring on his first-team debut against PSG.
Watch: Zirkzee heroics win Man of the Matchday
Zirkzee made a habit of scoring in the Bayern yourh teams, bagging 35 goals in 49 appearances with the club's age group sides. A first team call-up always appeared a matter of time and the then 18-year-old made an immediate impact when handed the chance with the seniors. With Bayern being held 1-1 at Freiburg, Zirkzee climbed off the bench in the 90th minute to score with his very first touch in the Bundesliga and make it 2-1 in injury-time. A week later he repeated the same trick, brought on in the 83rd minute this time, and with the score 0-0 at home to Wolfsburg, before breaking the deadlock three minutes later.
The teenager finished the campaign with four goals in nine Bundesliga appearances, while his two outings in the DFB Cup and one in the UEFA Champions League ensured Zirkzee contributed across all fronts as Bayern won a landmark treble under Hansi Flick. Having also featured for the second team 16 times, Zirkzee added a third division league title to his collection that same year. He wouldn't score again for Bayern, however, and departed the club on loans to Parma and Anderlecht before signing for Bologna in 2022. He left the Allianz Arena with four goals in 17 appearances for the first team.
Plays a bit like: Pierre van Hooijdonk
Zirkzee has more in common with Dutch legend Pierre van Hooijdonk than just his height (both men stand at 6'4") and instantly recognisable haircut. As his goal against Freiburg showed, the teenager has the same predatory instincts that helped van Hooijdonk net over 350 goals during a prolific career.
An imposing forward with a serious turn of pace, Zirkzee is also strong in the air and an intelligent reader of the game, making it hard for opposing defences to track his movement. Sound familiar? No doubt he has also picked up a few tricks from Bayern's former goal machine, Robert Lewandowski, during their time together at the club.
Watch: The Zirkzee late show returned against Wolfsburg
Did you know?
After scoring 33 goals in 27 games for the Feyenoord youth teams, Zirkzee found himself on the radar of a host of English Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester United. In summer 2017, former Netherlands star Ronald Koeman – who was coaching Everton at the time – convinced him to take part in the General CEE Cup, where he was one of the team's standout performers. Ultimately, though, Zirkzee decided against a move to England, and Everton's loss was Bayern's gain.
What they're saying
"He has only been training with us for three weeks, but his development has been remarkable. He still has a long way to go, but this is definitely an early reward." – Former Bayern coach Hansi Flick, after Zirkzee's goal against Freiburg
"It's awesome, he's earned it. He works really hard and clearly wants to improve, to listen and learn. I'm very happy for him. It says a lot when you see the coach bringing him on. And now he's repaid the coach's faith with a goal, which is even better." – Ex-Bayern teammate David Alaba
"He's the kind of player who is highly sought-after: a powerful striker who keeps his cool and doesn't let himself be caught out. He has a great understanding of football and reacts quickly to different situations." – Bayern academy director Holger Seitz