JÁTÉKOSOK

Profil

Antonio Rudiger was born in Berlin on March 3, 1993 to a German father and a mother from Sierra Leone. “My family left Sierra Leone before 1991 due to the civil war,” the center back recounted in an interview early in his career. “They found a place in Berlin, where I was born. I went to Africa as a kid but unfortunately these days I don’t have enough time to go back. Berlin has influenced me. I grew up in Neukölln, which back then was a really tough neighborhood, nothing like the Neukölln of today. That city will always be a part of me.” A big character with a powerful physique, he is a right-footed center back blessed with great natural pace. He began his career at VfB Sperber Neukölln, before moving to Hertha 03 Zehlendorf. He signed for Borussia Dortmund at the age of 15, a club that previously had his half-brother Sahr Senesie on their books. He only played for Dortmund at the U17 and U19 levels and in 2011 joined the side that would hand him his Bundesliga debut: Stuttgart. Beginning in 2012, he made 80 appearances for the club and scored two goals. He certainly impressed German national team coach Joachim Low, who handed him his first cap in his star-studded side at the age of 21, a remarkable feat for a player so young. AS Roma certainly took notice of the young defender’s talents, bringing him from Stuttgart to the Italian capital during the 2015 summer transfer window.

Statisztika