Deniz Undav (born 19 July 1996) is a German professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People *Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Smal ...

for club

VfB Stuttgart Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V. (), commonly known as VfB Stuttgart (), is a German professional sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club's Association football, football team is currently part of Germany's f ...

and the Germany national team.

Club career

Early career (2002–2020)

Undav, who grew up in

Achim Achim (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Achem''), commonly Achim bei Bremen, is a municipality and the largest town (population 30,059 in December 2006) in the district of Verden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, a ...

, played for TSV Achim before joining the youth department of

Werder Bremen Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen, Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, Werder are best known for their professional association foo ...

, in which he was released after five years due to his lack of height. Later on, he joined SC Weyhe, then

TSV Havelse TSV Havelse is a German association football club based in Garbsen, Lower Saxony, near Hanover. History The club was founded in 1912 as ''FC Pelikan-Havelse'' by a group of thirteen young men from the small village of Havelse. They took their n ...

where he made his senior debut during the

2014–15 Regionalliga The 2014–15 Regionalliga was the seventh season of the Regionalliga, the third under the new format, as the fourth tier of the German football league system. The champions of Regionalliga West – Fortuna Köln – and the winner – SG Sonnenh ...

. He later played for Eintracht Braunschweig II, followed by

SV Meppen SV Meppen is a German association football club playing in Meppen, Lower Saxony. The club was founded on 29 November 1912 as ''Amisia Meppen'' and joined ''Männer-Turnverein Meppen'' on 8 February 1920 to form ''TuS Meppen 1912''. The football ...

Union Saint-Gilloise (2020–2022)

In April 2020, it was announced Undav would leave

3. Liga The 3. Liga is a professional association football league and the third division in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2. Bundesliga and the fourth-tier Regionalliga. The modern 3. Liga was formed for t ...

club SV Meppen at the end of the 2019–20 season. With his Meppen contract running out, he would join

Belgian First Division B The Challenger Pro League, previously known as 1B Pro League is the second-highest division in the Football in Belgium, Belgian football Belgian football league system, league system, one level below the Belgian Pro League. It was created by the ...

side

Union Saint-Gilloise Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (), also known as Union Saint-Gilloise, Union SG or simply Union, is a Belgian professional football club from Brussels based in Forest. Founded in 1897 in the neighbouring Saint-Gilles, the club has played its home ...

on a three-year deal. On 13 March 2021, Undav won the championship with

in the

ending his season on 17 goals in 26 games. On the 15th matchday in the

2021–22 Belgian First Division A The 2021–22 Belgian Pro League (officially known as Jupiler Pro League due to sponsorship reasons) was the 119th season of top-flight football in Belgium. Club Brugge completed their first league Championship hat-trick since the 1970s by edgin ...

season Undav scored, for the first time in his career, a quadruple away at

K.V. Oostende Koninklijke Voetbalclub Oostende, also called KV Oostende () or KVO, was a Belgian professional association football, football club based in Ostend, West Flanders. The team was founded in 1904 as ''VG Oostende'' and had Football in Belgium#Matr ...

in the 7–1 victory. He finished the season as top scorer of the league with 18 goals, and was awarded the Footballer of the Year in Belgium.

Brighton & Hove Albion (2022–2023)

On 31 January 2022, Undav joined

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

club

Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, commonly referred to as Brighton, is a professional football club based in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Their home gr ...

for €7 million, signing a four-and-a-half-year deal. He immediately returned to Union Saint-Gilloise until the end of the 2021–22 season on loan. Undav made his ''Albion'' debut on the opening game of the 2022–23 season, coming on as a 90+5th minute substitute for

Danny Welbeck Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck (born 26 November 1990) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., Brighton & Hove Albion. Welbeck m ...

, helping Brighton win its first ever victory at

Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...

after beating

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

2–1. He scored his first goal for the club in his second appearance, opening the scoreline in the 3–0 away victory over League One side

Forest Green Rovers Forest Green Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system. Formed in October 188 ...

in the second round of the

EFL Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...

on 24 August. He didn't score again until over four-and-a-half months later on 7 January 2023, scoring Brighton's last after coming on as a substitute, in the 5–1 away thrashing over

Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...

side

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...

in the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

third round. Undav made his first Premier League start on 4 February, creating chances and making several attempts on goal without success before being substituted off in the eventual 1–0 home win over

Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...

. He opened the scoreline on 19 March, scoring a rebound from a Moisés Caicedo shot, later assisting a Evan Ferguson goal in the 5–0 FA Cup quarter-final win over League Two side

Grimsby Town Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "the Mariners", the club was f ...

. Undav scored his first Premier League goal on 29 April, opening the scoreline and later adding a second in the 6–0 thrashing of

Wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

, their biggest Premier League victory. He added to his Premier League tally on 14 May, chipping in ''Albions second in the eventual 3–0 away win over

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

. Four days later, Undav scored at both ends in Brighton's 4–1 away defeat at

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...

, heading in an own goal from a corner to open the scoreline before hitting one back from two down.

VfB Stuttgart (2023–present)

2023–2024: Initial loan spell

On 2 August 2023, Undav returned to his native Germany, signing for

Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...

club

on a season-long loan for the 2023–24 season. He made his Stuttgart debut on 16 September 2023, in a

match against

1. FSV Mainz 05 1. Fußball- und Sport-Verein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05 or simply Mainz 05 (), is a German professional sports club, founded in 1905 and based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Mainz 05 play in the Bundesliga, the top tie ...

. On 27 January 2024, he scored his first Bundesliga hat-trick in a 5–2 win over

RB Leipzig RasenBallsport Leipzig e.V. (), commonly known as RB Leipzig or informally as Red Bull Leipzig, is a German professional association football, football club based in Leipzig, Saxony. The club was founded in 2009 by the initiative of the company ...

. In his debut Bundesliga season, he scored 18 goals and provided 9 assists, as his club finished second in the league and secured Champions League qualification for the first time since 2009–10.

2024–present: Permanent signing

On 9 August 2024, following a season-long loan spell, Undav signed for VfB Stuttgart on a permanent basis, signing a three-year contract. A month later, on 17 September, he scored a goal on his Champions League debut which ended in a 3–1 away defeat against reigning champions

Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...

International career

Undav was eligible to represent either

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

internationally. In March 2024, Undav received his first call-up to the German national team ahead of their friendlies against

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. He made his debut for ''Die Mannschaft'' in a 2–0 victory against France after coming on for

Kai Havertz Kai Lukas Havertz (born 11 June 1999) is a German professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for club Arsenal and the Germany national team. Having graduated from Bayer Leverkusen's youth academy in 2016, Havertz ...

in the 80th minute. In June, Undav was named in Germany's squad for

UEFA Euro 2024 The 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2024 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2024) or simply Euro 2024, was the 17th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international Association football, football champ ...

. Undav scored his first international goal in a 2–2 draw against the Netherlands on 10 September 2024.

Personal life

Undav was born in Germany to a

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish language ** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) **Central Kurdish (Sorani) **Southern Kurdish ** Laki Kurdish *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern ...

Yazidis Yazidis, also spelled Yezidis (; ), are a Kurdish languages, Kurdish-speaking Endogamy, endogamous religious group indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. The major ...

family of five children from the village of Işıklı, located within the municipality of

Viranşehir Viranşehir () is a municipality and district of Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey. Its area is 2,297 km2, and its population is 207,315 (2022). It is a market town serving a cotton-growing area, 93 km east of the city Şanlıurfa and 53&nbs ...

and situated in

Şanlıurfa Province Şanlıurfa Province (; ), also known as Urfa Province, is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality in southeastern Turkey. The city of Şanlıurfa is the capital of the province which be ...

of Turkey. His grandfather migrated to Germany due to pressure following the 1980 coup in Turkey.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Union SG *

2020–21 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...

VfB Stuttgart *

DFB-Pokal The DFB-Pokal (), also known as the German Cup in English language, English, is a German knockout Association football, football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competiti ...

: 2024–25 Individual * Belgian Pro League top scorer: 2021–22 * Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year: 2021–22 *

Player of the Month: November 2023, January 2024 * VDV Bundesliga Newcomer of the Season: 2023–24

References

External links

Deniz Undav
at Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Deniz Undav
at

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Undav, Deniz 1996 births Living people People from Varel People from Friesland (district) Footballers from Lower Saxony German men's footballers Germany men's international footballers Kurdish men's footballers 21st-century Kurdish people Men's association football forwards TSV Havelse players Eintracht Braunschweig II players SV Meppen players Royale Union Saint-Gilloise players Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players VfB Stuttgart players 3. Liga players Regionalliga players Belgian Pro League players Challenger Pro League players Premier League players Bundesliga players UEFA Euro 2024 players German expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium Expatriate men's footballers in England German expatriate sportspeople in Belgium German expatriate sportspeople in England German people of Kurdish descent German Yazidis 21st-century German sportsmen