Kevin Volland: versatility for the team
“Kevin’s profile is that of a versatile forward, capable of playing a center forward, second forward or winger on both flanks.” These are the words of Paul Mitchell, AS Monaco’s Sporting Director, to describe Kevin Volland, the club’s new recruit. If versatility is sometimes seen as a handicap in modern football, the Germany international has made it a real strength of his since his debut.
👟⚽💨𝙆𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙣 𝙑𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/WlfQveOHVN
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) September 2, 2020
Prolific at a young age at 1860 Munich
Originally from Bavaria, Kevin joined the Munich 1860 academy in the summer of 2007 at the age of 14. He played first with the club’s U-17s, already a step above his peers. His performances there saw him selected for the German national team in that age category a year later. He quickly climbed the steps at the club with the U19s and then the club’s reserves, while continuing to be called up in all age categories for his country (44 caps, 24 goals).
He appeared in the German Cup in August 2010, and began to appear with the professional squad a month later in the Bundesliga 2, at age 18. In Munich, he would total 60 appearances in two seasons with the first team, scoring 20 goals and providing 16 assists. During this period, his altruism was reflected in his performances and his versatility saw him be on the radar of Hoffenheim, which he joined in 2012.
Always decisive, everywhere
As in Munich, he quickly proved indispensable in attack and quickly became the starter in the attacking third. And just like in Munich, he proved with his statistics (36 goals and 39 assists in 144 games) that he is capable of scoring and setting up his teammates. Whether playing on the wing, supporting a striker or playing himself as a center forward, the left-footed player uses his liveliness and athleticism to speak for itself in the opponent’s box.
In 2016, after four full seasons with the Stuttgart-area club, Kevin Volland signed for Bayer Leverkusen. There he would experience play at the very highest level, with a team regularly playing in the Champions League. In four years, he played around twenty European matches, including 12 in the Champions League. He even faced AS Monaco in their exceptional 2016-2017 season in the famous 1-1 draw secured by an extraordinary goal by Kamil Glik in the last minute.
The age of reason at Bayer
With the club run by a world giant in the pharmaceutical industry, he became a senior international a Germany side led by Joachim Löw (10 caps, 1 goal); he would play 148 matches (50 goals, 32 assists). More often played centrally at Leverkusen, he asserted himself a little more as a very effective striker, regularly cited among the best strikers in the Bundesliga alongside Robert Lewandowski, and also as a leader, as he wore the captain’s armband about 30 times.
Very complete in his play and possessed of a high workate, Kevin Volland has a powerful shot with both feet, which makes him one of the few ambidextrous left-footed players. A player who is very experienced with nearly 250 Bundesliga matches played, he is also comfortable in the air thanks to his sense of timing despite his height (1.79m), and was a recruitment priority for AS Monaco. “His arrival demonstrates our desire to strengthen the squad with specific profiles”, summarized Oleg Petrov, Vice-President and CEO.
These are qualities that fit perfectly with the aggressive playing style that Niko Kovac has already out in place since the resumption of Ligue 1. The club welcomes Kevin and wishes him the greatest possible success for this 2020-2021 season and the years to come.
