Fullkrug is ‘old-school’ – Yahoo Sports

Niclas Fullkrug accepts the idea that he was a late bloomer, but he also likes to highlight how experience is more important to his game than youth.

The 31-year-old arrived at West Ham from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of £27m, which also includes potential add-ons.

Less than 12 months ago, Fullkrug arrived at Dortmund from Werder Bremen, where he had thrived in the previous two seasons.

Although Fullkrug is a technically limited striker, he has found a way to be effective thanks to his height and a good eye for scoring opportunities in the box.

At a time when a pure number nine is rare, he has attracted many suitors over the past few years and was called up for the first time to the German squad ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Fullkrug was also part of Germany’s recent Euro 2024 campaign and Julian Nagelsmann used him as a substitute for Kai Havertz during the second half of the games.

But while he doesn’t always get the job done, fans tend to easily connect with Fullkrug, which – in part – stems from his down-to-earth personality.

He gained the nickname ‘Gap’ because of his missing central incisor.

Other football players would have replaced the tooth with an implant, but Fullkrug decided to fill the gap with a sense of carelessness.

When he formed a partnership with fellow striker Marvin Ducksch for Werder Bremen, the pair dared to call themselves ‘the ugly birds’.

These little nuggets, coupled with the fact that Fullkrug was a late bloomer and somehow became an internationally recognized striker, helped his standing tremendously in Germany and elsewhere.