Philipp Hofmann (born 30 March 1993) is a German professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club VfL Bochum.

Philipp Hofmann
Hofmann playing for Eintracht Braunschweig in 2018
Personal information
Full name Philipp Hofmann[1]
Date of birth (1993-03-30) 30 March 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth Arnsberg, Germany
Height 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
VfL Bochum
Number 33
Youth career
2001–2007 RW Wenholthausen
2007–2009 SC Neheim
2009–2012 Schalke 04
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 Schalke 04 II 24 (6)
2012–2014 Schalke 04 0 (0)
2012–2013SC Paderborn (loan) 30 (6)
2013–2014Ingolstadt (loan) 31 (8)
2013–2014Ingolstadt II (loan) 3 (6)
2014–2015 Kaiserslautern 29 (6)
2014 Kaiserslautern II 2 (1)
2015–2017 Brentford 31 (4)
2017–2018 Greuther Fürth 9 (1)
2017 Greuther Fürth II 3 (2)
2018–2019 Eintracht Braunschweig 50 (11)
2019–2022 Karlsruher SC 96 (49)
2022– VfL Bochum 77 (13)
International career
2011 Germany U18 3 (0)
2011–2012 Germany U19 10 (6)
2012–2013 Germany U20 4 (2)
2013–2015 Germany U21 17 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:15, 14 December 2024 (UTC)

Hofmann is a product of the Schalke 04 academy and made his professional breakthrough away from the club on loan, before transferring to 1. FC Kaiserslautern in 2014. Following two years in England with Brentford between 2015 and 2017, he returned to Germany and forged a career in the 2. Bundesliga with Greuther Fürth, Eintracht Braunschweig and Karlsruher SC. An average of a goal every other game during three seasons with Karlsruher SC led to a transfer to the Bundesliga with VfL Bochum in 2022. Hofmann scored 18 goals in 36 caps for Germany between U18 and U21 level.

Club career

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Schalke 04

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A forward, Hofmann began his career as a youth with local clubs RW Wenholthausen and SC Neheim, before signing for Bundesliga club Schalke 04 in 2009.[3] He won the Westfalenpokalsieger with the U19 team in the 2010–11 season and the U19 Bundesliga the following year.[3] He made 24 appearances for the reserve team in the 2011–12 season, scoring six goals.[4] Hofmann won his first and only first team call up for a dead rubber Europa League match versus Maccabi Haifa on 14 December 2011 and remained an unused substitute during the 3–0 victory.[4]

Hofmann spent the 2012–13 season on loan with 2. Bundesliga club SC Paderborn 07 and made the first professional appearance of his career in a 4–0 victory over VfL Bochum on 11 August 2012,[4] as a late substitute for Diego Demme.[5] He made 31 appearances and scored six goals during a mid-table season.[4][6] On 14 July 2013, Hofmann joined 2. Bundesliga club FC Ingolstadt 04 on a two-year loan.[7] He made 33 appearances and scored 9 goals during the 2013–14 season and notably scored two hat-tricks in three Regionalliga Bayern appearances for the reserves.[4] Hofmann's loan was terminated at the end of the 2013–14 season and he departed Schalke on 5 June 2014.[8]

1. FC Kaiserslautern

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Hofmann transferred to 2. Bundesliga club 1. FC Kaiserslautern on 5 June 2014.[8] He began the 2014–15 season in a substitute role and scored on his debut in a 3–2 win over TSV 1860 Munich on 4 August 2014,[4] scoring the winner just a minute after replacing the scorer of the Red Devils' opening two goals, Srđan Lakić.[9] Hofmann won unfortunate media attention for missing a certain goalscoring opportunity from one yard versus Union Berlin on 24 September,[10][11] but was spared his blushes after Union failed to cancel out Alexander Ring's first half goal.[12] Hofmann failed to come into regular goalscoring form and finished the 2014–15 season with 32 appearances and 9 goals as the Red Devils finished just two points shy of the promotion playoff place.[4] He departed the Fritz-Walter-Stadion in July 2015.[13]

Brentford

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Hofmann playing for Brentford in 2015

On 23 July 2015, Hofmann moved to England to sign a three-year contract with Championship club Brentford, for an undisclosed fee [13] During an injury-hit 2015–16 season,[14][15] Hofmann scored four goals in 22 appearances.[16] He returned free from injury for the 2016–17 pre-season, but began the season overweight and behind Scott Hogan and Lasse Vibe in competition for the team's lone forward role.[17][18] After slimming down and making just five substitute appearances by early December 2016,[18][19] head coach Dean Smith challenged Hofmann to work harder to earn a starting place.[17] Despite the departure of Scott Hogan in January 2017,[20] a niggling back injury and a lack of match fitness rendered Hofmann unable to challenge for a starting berth during the second half of the season.[4][21] He fell behind B team forward Justin Shaibu in the pecking order and finished the season with 11 appearances and no goals.[19] Hofmann departed Brentford in June 2017, after scoring just four goals in 33 appearances during his two seasons at Griffin Park.[22]

Greuther Fürth

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On 13 June 2017, Hofmann returned to Germany to join 2. Bundesliga club Greuther Fürth on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[22] After recovering from a medial collateral ligament injury suffered during pre-season,[23] he made his debut for the club in a DFB-Pokal first round match versus SV Morlautern on 13 August 2017 and scored two goals in the 5–0 victory.[4] Prior to the winter break, Hofmann made just 11 appearances (scoring three goals) and departed the Sportpark Ronhof prior to the resumption of the 2017–18 season in January 2018.[4][24]

Eintracht Braunschweig

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On 23 January 2018, Hofmann transferred to 2. Bundesliga club Eintracht Braunschweig on a 2 12-year contract.[25] He scored 12 goals in 52 appearances before his departure at the end of the 2018–19 season.[4]

Karlsruher SC

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On 11 June 2019, Hofmann transferred to newly promoted 2. Bundesliga club Karlsruher SC on a two-year contract,[2] with one-year option.[26] He scored 53 goals in 104 appearances during three seasons at the Wildparkstadion and was released when his contract expired at the end of the 2021–22 season.[4][27]

VfL Bochum

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On 4 May 2022, Hofmann signed a two-year contract with Bundesliga club VfL Bochum on a free transfer, effective 1 July 2022.[27] He made 37 appearances and scored 9 goals during a 2022–23 season in which the club narrowly avoided the relegation playoffs.[4][28] Hofmann signed a new three-year contract in August 2023.[29] The club finished the 2023–24 season in the relegation playoff place and following an own goal in the 3–0 first leg defeat to Fortuna Düsseldorf,[30] Hofmann scored twice in the second leg to help the club to a 3–3 draw on aggregate.[31] He was substituted prior to the deciding shootout, from which VfL Bochum emerged victorious.[31] Hofmann made 32 appearances and scored six goals during the 2023–24 season.[4]

Hofmann continued in his starting role during the first half of the 2024–25 season.[4] On 14 December 2024 and with Bochum having no remaining substitutions, he played the final minutes of a 1–1 draw versus Union Berlin in goal, due to goalkeeper Patrick Drewes leaving the pitch after being hit by an object thrown from the crowd.[32]

International career

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Hofmann represented Germany between U18 and U21 level.[33] He made his international debut for the U18 team in a 3–2 friendly win over France on 22 March 2011,[34] replacing goalscorer Amin Younes in the second half.[35] He made two further U18 appearances before making his U19 debut with a start in a 5–3 friendly win over Belgium on 1 September 2011,[36] being replaced by Niclas Füllkrug at half time.[37] He scored his first international goal in another friendly three days later, with what looked to be the winner versus rivals the Netherlands,[36] before Ouasim Bouy salvaged a 2–2 draw.[38] Hofmann scored six goals in six games during Germany's unsuccessful qualification period for the 2012 European U19 Championship.[33]

Hofmann scored two goals in four friendly appearances for the U20 team during the 2012–13 season and made his U21 debut in a 4–0 2015 European U21 Championship qualifying win over the Republic of Ireland on 9 September 2013.[33][39] He showed excellent form during the qualifying period, scoring seven goals in 10 games,[40] but he failed to score in his two finals appearances before Germany were humiliated 5–0 by Portugal in the semi-finals.[41] He scored 9 goals in 17 matches at U21 level.[33]

Personal life

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Hofmann attended the Gesamtschule Berger Feld.[42]

Career statistics

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As of match played 14 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Schalke 04 II 2011–12[4] Regionalliga West 24 6 24 6
Schalke 04 2011–12[4] Bundesliga 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SC Paderborn (loan) 2012–13[4] 2. Bundesliga 30 6 1 0 31 6
FC Ingolstadt 04 (loan) 2013–14[4] 2. Bundesliga 31 8 2 1 33 9
FC Ingolstadt 04 II (loan) 2013–14[4] Regionalliga Bayern 3 6 3 6
1. FC Kaiserslautern II 2014–15[4] Regionalliga Südwest 2 1 2 1
1. FC Kaiserslautern 2014–15[4] 2. Bundesliga 29 6 3 3 32 9
Brentford 2015–16[16] Championship 21 4 1 0 0 0 22 4
2016–17[19] Championship 10 0 0 0 1 0 11 0
Total 31 4 1 0 1 0 33 4
Greuther Fürth 2017–18[4] 2. Bundesliga 9 1 2 2 11 3
Greuther Fürth II 2017–18[4] Regionalliga Bayern 3 2 3 2
Eintracht Braunschweig 2017–18[4] 2. Bundesliga 12 1 12 1
2018–19[4] 3. Liga 38 10 1 0 1[c] 1 40 11
Total 50 11 1 0 1 1 52 12
Karlsruher SC 2019–20[4] 2. Bundesliga 33 17 3 2 36 19
2020–21[4] 2. Bundesliga 30 13 1 0 31 13
2021–22[4] 2. Bundesliga 33 19 4 2 37 21
Total 96 49 8 4 104 53
VfL Bochum 2022–23[4] Bundesliga 34 8 3 1 37 9
2023–24[4] Bundesliga 29 4 1 0 2[d] 2 32 6
2024–25[4] Bundesliga 14 1 1 0 15 1
Total 77 13 5 1 2 2 84 16
Career total 385 113 23 11 1 0 0 0 3 3 411 127
  1. ^ Includes DFB-Pokal, FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ^ Appearance in Lower Saxony Cup
  4. ^ Appearances in Bundesliga relegation play-offs

References

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  1. ^ "EFL: Retained list: 2015/16" (PDF). English Football League. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Angreifer Philipp Hofmann wechselt in den Wildpark". www.ksc.de (in German). Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Schalke 04". Schalke04.de. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af Philipp Hofmann at Soccerway. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Paderborn vs. Bochum – 11 August 2012". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  6. ^ "Tables – 2. Bundesliga – Germany – Results, fixtures, tables and news". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Sturmtalent Philipp Hofmann zum FCI". www.fcingolstadt.de. Archived from the original on 7 February 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  8. ^ a b "U21-Nationalspieler: Hofmann wechselt von Schalke zum FCK". RP Online. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  9. ^ "Kaiserslautern v TSV 1860 Munich". Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  10. ^ Marioni, Massimo. "This is the worst open goal miss you will ever see – fact". Metro. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  11. ^ "Kaiserslautern's Philipp Hofmann produces spectacular open-goal miss". the Guardian. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  12. ^ "Kaiserslautern v FC Union Berlin". Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  13. ^ a b Wickham, Chris. "Brentford sign Philipp Hofmann from 1.FC Kaiserslautern". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  14. ^ "September injury update". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  15. ^ Moore, Tom. "Brentford's injury crisis has returned with a vengeance". getwestlondon. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Games played by Philipp Hofmann in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  17. ^ a b Street, Tim (5 December 2016). "Brentford are desperate for goals – so what's happening with the Hoff?". getwestlondon. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  18. ^ a b Moore, Tom (31 December 2016). "Smith insists Brentford have had no talks over striker exit". getwestlondon. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  19. ^ a b c "Games played by Philipp Hofmann in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  20. ^ "Brentford striker Scott Hogan signs for Sky Bet Championship side Aston Villa". Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  21. ^ Moore, Tom (20 April 2017). "Brentford injury update ahead of QPR contest". getwestlondon. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  22. ^ a b "Philipp Hofmann leaves Brentford". Brentford FC. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  23. ^ "Expert Column – Preview – Football". The Hong Kong Jockey Club. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  24. ^ "Hofmann nach Braunschweig". Greuther Fürth – Die offizielle Website (in German). Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  25. ^ "Löwen verpflichten Philipp Hofmann". Eintracht Braunschweig (in German). Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  26. ^ "Karlsruhes Hofmann: By clause to extend the contract". PressFrom – UK. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  27. ^ a b "Philipp Hofmann wechselt zum VfL". e.V VfL Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  28. ^ "Tables – Bundesliga – Germany – Results, fixtures, tables and news". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  29. ^ "Philipp Hofmann verlängert vorzeitig bis 2026". www.vfl-bochum.de (in German). Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  30. ^ "1:4 in Bremen – VfL muss in Relegation". www.vfl-bochum.de (in German). Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  31. ^ a b "Fortuna Düsseldorf – VfL Bochum 1848 | Season 2023/2024 | Bundesliga". bundesliga.com – the official Bundesliga website. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  32. ^ "Union Berlin vs Bochum: Bundesliga match suspended after keeper hit by object". BBC Sport. 14 December 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  33. ^ a b c d Philipp Hofmann at DFB (also available in German)
  34. ^ "Spielplan". Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  35. ^ "Statistik-Center". Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  36. ^ a b "Spielplan". Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  37. ^ "Spielplan". Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  38. ^ "Spielplan". Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  39. ^ "Statistik-Center". Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  40. ^ "Spielplan". Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  41. ^ "Portugal U21 5–0 Germany U21". BBC. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  42. ^ Blesken, Falk (5 April 2012). "Schalke-Talent Philipp Hofmann ist auf dem Sprung zu den Profis". Der Westen. Funke Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
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