Kevin Schade
Winger · Brentford · Germany
About Kevin Schade
Kevin Schade is a German international winger born in Potsdam to a German mother and a Nigerian father. Developed at Energie Cottbus and SC Freiburg, he joined Brentford (ENG) on loan in January 2023 and permanently that June, and has become one of their most dangerous attacking outlets, combining electric pace with direct running and a potent shot.
Kevin Schade's story
Potsdam to Cottbus
Schade was born in Potsdam on 27 November 2001 and grew up with his mother and two sisters, kicking a ball on a pitch near home, often on his own. He started at SV Babelsberg and, at 12, was accepted into the Energie Cottbus academy in 2014. His mother opened the letter before he did. Cottbus is about 140 km away, so he lived in a boarding house, shared a room with a boy who became his best friend, and went home to Potsdam at weekends. School, training, more football: he called it "action".
Freiburg and Streich
A Freiburg scout, Christoph Wetzel, spotted him at a regional-selection tournament in 2018 and Schade moved to the club's youth set-up. He made his reserve debut in July 2019 and scored the following week. Coach Christian Streich gave him confidence, and the message was to develop step by step. His first-team debut came off the bench in a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund on 21 August 2021, and he made 36 appearances for the first team in all competitions.
Brentford and Germany
Brentford signed him on loan on 4 January 2023, then made it permanent on 12 June 2023 on a five-year deal, a club-record fee that the club did not disclose and that was reported at around £22m. Fellow German Vitaly Janelt, already at the club, helped him settle: Schade messaged him with questions before the move and Janelt showed him around London. Two months after arriving he made his Germany debut, as a substitute for Kai Havertz in a 2-0 win over Peru in Mainz in March 2023.
Injury and Breakthrough
An adductor injury in late September 2023 needed surgery and kept him out until April 2024. He came back to score 11 league goals in 2024-25 and 8 in 2025-26, and on 11 May 2026 played his 100th league game for Brentford, in a 3-0 defeat at Manchester City.
Level-headed and Patient
Schade describes himself as level-headed and says he does not get carried away. In February 2022 he said he prefers short-term targets and patience to a rapid rise, with winning the World Cup and the Champions League as his long-term goals. His childhood dream was simply to be a professional footballer in Germany.
Did you know?
- 🏀 His Germany Under-21 coach, Toni Di Salvo, nicknamed him "our Air Jordan" for his leap. Asked to choose between Michael Jordan's jump and Usain Bolt's speed, Schade went for Bolt.
- 🔴 In November 2021, with Liverpool reported to be interested, he signed a new Freiburg contract instead, saying he wanted experience and competition at a club where he felt in good hands.
- 👩 His mother was beside him when he signed his first professional contract with Freiburg in December 2019, and he later said she was very proud.
- 😏 A former Cottbus youth coach said Schade would encourage others to get up to mischief but never got caught himself. His reply: he was "just too clever".
- 🎩 Hat-tricks against Leicester City on 30 November 2024 and Bournemouth on 27 December 2025, both in 4-1 wins, made him the first German to score multiple Premier League hat-tricks, joining André Schürrle, Fredi Bobic and Jürgen Klinsmann as the only Germans with a Premier League treble.
- 🅰️ Against Belgium in March 2023, his second Germany cap, he came on as a substitute and set up Serge Gnabry.
- ⚡ His top sprint speed of 36.37 km/h was the second-fastest recorded in the Bundesliga that season, level with Alphonso Davies, and he was the 10th-fastest player on FIFA 23, with a pace rating of 94.
- 🇩🇪 Eligible for Nigeria through his father, Schade said as an Under-21 international that he was born and raised in Germany, so he plays for Germany.
- 😴 After his first-team breakthrough at Freiburg aged 19, coach Christian Streich phoned to ask how he was; Schade was so drained he fell asleep straight afterwards.
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