Moritz Volz

Moritz Volz (born 21 January 1983) is a German former professional footballer, media pundit and scout.[1][2] Works as assistant coach at RB Leipzig.

Moritz Volz
Volz at Fulham in 2007
Personal information
Full name Moritz Volz
Date of birth (1983-01-21) 21 January 1983
Place of birth Siegen, West Germany
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Right-back
Youth career
SpVgg Bürbach
0000–1999 Schalke 04
1999–2000 Arsenal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2004 Arsenal 0 (0)
2003 → Wimbledon (loan) 10 (1)
2004–2009 Fulham 137 (4)
2008–2009 → Ipswich Town (loan) 22 (0)
2010–2012 FC St. Pauli 23 (2)
2012–2015 1860 Munich 51 (0)
Total 243 (7)
National team
2003–2006 Germany U21 20 (0)
Teams managed
2019– RB Leipzig (assistant coach)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Volz played as a right-back with clubs Schalke, Arsenal, Wimbledon, Fulham, Ipswich Town, FC St. Pauli and TSV 1860 Munich.[3]

Club career

Early career

Volz was born in Siegen and started his career in his native Germany at FC Schalke 04 before being spotted by Arsenal while playing for the German youth team. He was offered a contract and joined the Gunners in the summer of 1999. Volz's debut for the Gunners came in a League Cup defeat to Ipswich Town in 2000.[4] With the club's academy, Volz also won the FA Youth Cup in 2000 and 2001.[3][5] He made another appearance for Arsenal's first team a year later in a League Cup defeat to Sunderland.[6] In February 2003, he was loaned out to Wimbledon, where he impressed by scoring on his debut against Brighton[7] and going on to make nine further appearances for the Dons. He returned from loan in the summer of the same year before joining Fulham, again on loan, in August 2003.[8] The move was made permanent in January 2004.[9]

Fulham

At Fulham, Volz attained cult-figure status with the fans, in part due to his commitment, passion and community involvement.[10] He was also popular with the club's faithful given that he rode his bicycle to home games. He had several nicknames at Craven Cottage, such as '220 Volz', 'The Electrician', 'Mr Resistor', 'The Hoff' due to his adulation of David Hasslehoff, 'The Lightbulb' and the rather simple 'Volzy'. For the match against Aston Villa on Saturday 21 October 2006, he had 'The Hoff' written on his boots for good luck and promptly scored his first goal in three years.[11][12][13]

Volz signed a contract extension on 9 December 2006, which kept him at the club until 2009.[14] On 20 December 2006, he went on to score the 15,000th goal in Premier League history for Fulham against Chelsea.[15] Inevitably, this feat gave birth to the new nickname '15,000 Volz'. As he scored that goal, Volz donated £15,000 to three charitable organisations: Kick 4 Life, The Prince's Trust, and Fulham Football Club's Community charity.[16][17] In July 2008, Volz was awarded PPF Community Champion Award, which is associated with The Observer newspaper.[18]

On 28 August 2008, he signed for Championship side Ipswich Town on a season-long loan deal. Volz joined the club as he hoped to help the Tractor Boys get promoted to the Premier League.[19][20] Altogether he was capped a total of 22 times for the club.[21]

On 1 July 2009, he was released from Fulham as he came to the end of his contract and was so praised by the club for his loyal service. Volz sent a farewell message to Fulham supporters upon the club's website.[22] While on the lookout for a new team he kept training with the club to maintain his fitness and also did media work for Sky Sports at the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[2]

On 2 January 2010, Volz got a trial with former club FC Schalke 04.[23] He joined the team at Chiclana de la Frontera for a training camp.

FC St. Pauli

Volz eventually joined up with FC St. Pauli on 15 June 2010, signing a two-year contract.[24] He made his debut on 5 November 2010 against Schalke.

1860 Munich
Volz whilst training with TSV

Volz joined TSV 1860 Munich on 5 June 2012, signing a three-year contract.[25] At 1860 Munich he won the 2014–15 2. Bundesliga relegation playoffs, with the club thus staying within the league.[26] Volz went on to declare an end to his playing days soon afterward.[1]

International career

Although Volz was not part of the German team that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup on home soil in 2006, he was an ever-present force in Dieter Eilts' successful under-21 side. He helped the team qualify for the European Championships in summer 2006. Volz was included in the senior squad for the 17 November 2004 game in Leipzig against Cameroon but did not appear on the field.

Scouting and media work

Volz wrote for The Times and worked as a pundit for Sky Sports, Setanta Sports and ITV while playing in the UK. He later worked as a colour commentator for DAZN in Germany.[2][27][5][28]

After his retirement in the summer of 2015 Volz worked as a scout for TSV 1860 and he is currently Arsenal's main German scout.[1][29]

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[30]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Arsenal 2001–02 Premier League 1010
2002–03 1010
Total 2020
Wimbledon 2002–03 First Division 101101
Fulham 2003–04 Premier League 33050380
2004–05 3102130361
2005–06 23010240
2006–07 2924110343
2007–08 902010120
Total 1252132601444
Ipswich Town 2008–09 Championship 22010230
FC St. Pauli 2010–11 Bundesliga 9000000090
2011–12 2. Bundesliga 142000000142
Total 232000000232
1860 Munich 2012–13 2. Bundesliga 190300000220
Career total 1995162902247

Honours

Club

Arsenal[3][5]

Individual

Fulham Player of the Month: January 2007[31]

References
  1. Weber, Nils (11 October 2016). "Blitz-Besuch bei St. Pauli Moritz Volz will Trainer werden". Mopo.de (in German).
  2. "Free Agent-Moritz Volz". Sky Sports.
  3. "Young Gunners keep their Cup". The Guardian.com.
  4. "Arsenal 1–2 Ipswich". BBC. 1 November 2000. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  5. "CLASS OF 2000". Arsenal.com.
  6. "Moritz Volz". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  7. "Brighton 2–3 Wimbledon". BBC. 11 February 2003. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
  8. "Volz signs". Fulham Official Website. 8 August 2003. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  9. "Volz signs for Fulham". Fulham Official Website. 16 January 2004. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  10. "Reading Stars". Fulham FC. 28 May 2007. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  11. "The Hoff Inspires Volz to Score". Archived from the original on 21 December 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2006.
  12. "Moritz Volz: My Secret Vice". Four Four Two.com.
  13. "Moritz Volz: A German blessed with balance and bonhomie". Independent.co.uk.
  14. "Volz signs contract extension". Fulham Official Website. 9 December 2006. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  15. "Premiership clockwatch". BBC. 30 December 2006. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  16. "15,000 Volz". Fulham Official Website. 23 March 2007. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  17. "Volz Donation". Fulham Official Website. 20 April 2007. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  18. "Community Champion". fulhamfc.com. 31 July 2008. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  19. Derek Davis (28 August 2008). "Volz signs for Town". Green 'Un. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  20. "Volz: I'm Now a True Tractor Boy". TWTD.co.uk.
  21. "Moritz Volz". Sporting-Heroes.net.
  22. "Volzy's Farewell". Fulham Official Website. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  23. "Schalke testet Volz und verpflichtet Edu" (in German). Bundesliga. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  24. "Volz zu St. Pauli" (in German). sport1.de. 15 June 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  25. "Löwen verpflichten Moritz Volz" (in German). TSV 1860 München. 5 June 2012. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  26. "Moritz Volz". Eurosport.com.
  27. "Questions for Capello". 101 Great Goals.com.
  28. "DAZN DE". Twitter.com (in German).
  29. "Arsenal führt Scout-Liste gegen Finnland an". Laola1.de (in German).
  30. "Moritz Volz". Fulham FC. Archived from the original on 23 November 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  31. "Pipex Player of the Month". Fulham FC.com.
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