The traveller in football is the term referring to the footballers who just can’t stay at a club for long, an insurgence to travel different leagues, different clubs drive them – or what we can also refer to as money. Not being harsh, the need for opportunity, playing time and success also drives within them but not for long with the same team. Some greats have been termed so, like the mighty Brazilian captain Rivaldo who played for 14 teams but was with Barcelona for 5 years – Nicolas Anelka who gathered 11 trophies with 12 teams including success with the French National team as well, winning 3 trophies. Not all travellers are successful as expected (following the tit for tat effect) , Craig Bellamy moved to 8 different teams but to win just 4 trophies.

This brings us to our subject, André Schürrle. Schürrle was a sensation in the Under 19 Bundesliga in 2009 when he was being coached by Thomas Tuchel in Mainz 05. Breaking into the main team was not hard for Schürrle was among the then top young talents rising through the youth academies in Germany. In his 2 years at Mainz he gathered 23 goals and 16 assists in 83 games to find himself in a transfer worth 8.5 MIL euros to Bayer Leverkusen. Not starting as expected, Schürrle went on to prove his worth in the next seasons as he netted 14 goals and 9 assists in the 2012-13 campaign.

The Schürrle travel diary now begins. Jose Mourinho arrived at Chelsea in 2013 for his second spell and so did many other young players. Schürrle now arrives in England which was reported to be 22 MIL euros. In the two years Schürrle might have been seen more through the substitute roles – not to be forgotten he wins the 2014 World Cup with Germany who just decimated Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals. The world cup win was a boost to Schürrle’s ego as not only had he come on as a substitute in the final but also he had provided the winning cross to Mario Götze who won it for Germany. 65 games later with 14 goals but 3 assists, Schürrle moves to Vlf Wolfsburg. Not to forget Mourinho rung him up just before the transfer to take his premier league medal, for he had fulfilled the criteria for minimum number of games and was also thanked for his works.

Back to Germany and Wolfsburg, a new dominant side with fresh faces of De Bruyne, Perišić, Luiz Gustavo Wolfsburg raced to 2^nd position in Bundesliga. Schürrle having a hell of season back in Germany, scoring 12 goals in all competitions with 7 assists made in just 41 games. Having bought for 32 MIL euro maybe the performance was well deserved. But Wolfsburg time got cut short too soon by the now recruiter Borussia Dortmund. Wolfsburg had the biggest sell off in 2015/16 campaign. They sold De Bruyne, Schürrle, Perišić their key players prior season which resulted a mid-table finish at 8^th.

So far Schürrle is following the traveller’s rule of not staying longer than 1 or 2 years, but his career is to hit the rock now. He is going to go shores he would not have expected. Bit average 2 seasons at Dortmund gathers him 8 goals and 10 assists in 51 games. Here is the crux now – Dortmund don’t sell him to newly promoted Premier League team Fulham, instead to loan him. Schürrle appears 25 times and scoring 6 goals for the team that had 2 managers change over the season later to be sent to the substitute bench. Result, Schürrle is not picked for the German national team for 2018 world cup.

A few clubs ago, a world cup hero but now a mere Dortmund loanee. Dortmund is anyway known as the hunting ground for youngsters, but for senior players like Marco Reus, Götze and Hummels and incoming Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel, Schürrle just couldn’t make his place back in the team. Currently Schürrle is playing in Russia, his 8^th club Spartak Moscow. Spartak Moscow themselves are finding their old form back (winning the Russian League back in 16/17 season), while Zenith St Petersburg are demolishing the league. Schürrle has scored 2 goals and provided 4 assists for the team so far.

So, so far André Schürrle has won a Premier League with Chelsea, DFB-Polkal with Wolfsburg and Dortmund, DFL-Supercup with Wolfsburg and no to forget that 2014 FIFA World Cup. We hope André Schürrle finds his mojo back and tries to get back into that glorious German team he was part of. That’s it for this one we will catch you later.

Cheers