With the Bundesliga set to return this weekend, the Red Wall turn their attention to Wales internationals plying their trade in German football.
Rabbi Matondo could be thrust into a local derby as Schalke travel to main rivals Borussia Dortmund.
Ethan Ampadu’s club RB Leipzig take on SC Freiburg, whilst James Lawrence’s St.Pauli will host Nurnberg on Sunday.
So you know that there are three Welshmen currently playing in Germany right now but did you know there are four other players who have played in the top tiers of German football?
We take a look at the seven Welshmen to have featured in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga.
Ethan Ampadu – RB Leipzig
A highly exciting prospect in Welsh football, with 13 caps to his name at just 19 years of age, Ethan Ampadu has the potential to establish himself at the very top.
Currently on loan at RB Leipzig from Chelsea, Ampadu has found minutes for the Red Bulls hard to come by, featuring just seven times this season.
The Welshman did however put in a fantastic performance in the Champions League against Tottenham Hotspur, where Ampadu completed the most passes, had the most touches and achieved the highest passing accuracy of 95%.
Operating at centre-back that night, the performance sparked plenty of debate amongst Wales fans as to Ampadu’s best position, as the Chelsea loanee has also proved to be a useful partner to Joe Allen in midfield on the international stage.
Ampadu’s promise and versatility could be a huge asset to Frank Lampard next season, but another loan move could also be on the cards.
Embed from Getty ImagesWayne Thomas – KSV Baunatal, Alemannia Aachen, KFC Uerdingen 05, Hannover 96, Kickers Offenbach
Welsh midfielder Wayne Thomas started out in German football in 1978 and spent the majority of his career at Hannover 96 and KFC Uerdingen 05.
Having had spells in the 2. Bundesliga with KSV Baunatal and Alemmania Aachen, Thomas signed for KFC Uerdingen 05 in the 1983-1984 season, who had just been promoted to the German top flight.
It was with the Krefeld based side that Thomas won the DFB-Pokal in 1985, beating Bayern Munich 2-1 in the final.
Thomas joined Hannover 96 at the end of the same season, during a period where the club fell to the 2. Bundesliga but promplty returned.
After losing his place at Die Roten, Thomas joined his final club, Kickers Offenbach in 2. Bundesliga.
Wayne Thomas’ younger brother, Dean Thomas also had a spell in the German leagues.
Having spent two years at Wimbledon and a year on loan at Finnish club Ilves, during which Ipa won the league, Thomas signed for Fortuna Düsseldorf in 1983.
Thomas played 81 times for Flingeraner, scoring nine times, before a return to British football beckoned.
The midfielder played for Northampton Town, before making the move to Notts County, where he became captain and made over 100 appearances for the club.
Thomas retired after spells at Bedworth United and Hinckley United and went on to manage both clubs, along with Kettering Town.
Rabbi Matondo – FC Schalke
Another young Welsh prospect plying his trade in Germany is Rabbi Matondo, who came through the ranks at Cardiff City.
The winger signed for Schalke from Manchester City in January 2019 for a reported fee of £11 million and made his debut for the club just three days later in a 2-0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Matondo has since made 19 appearances for Die Königsblauen, scoring once and has also began to feature on the international stage, earning four caps for Wales.
Similarly to Ethan Ampadu, at 19 years of age, Matondo looks an exciting prospect for Wales fans.
Embed from Getty ImagesMark Hughes – Bayern Munich
Undoubtedly the highest profiled Welshman to feature in German football is Mark Hughes.
The Ruabon born striker had a loan spell at Bayern Munich from Barcelona in the 1987-1988 season, as part of a decorated career that saw him make over 300 appearances for Manchester United.
Hughes is Wales’ twelfth most capped player and is joint-seventh in the all-time leading goalscorers list with 16 to his name.
After retiring from playing in 2002, Hughes became Wales manager, and has also managed the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Fulham, along with QPR, Stoke City and Southampton.
James Lawrence – FC St. Pauli
Currently on loan at FC St. Pauli in 2. Bundesliga is James Lawrence.
The Wales centre-back made his debut for the National Team in 2018, as Ryan Giggs awarded Lawrence a start in the away loss to Albania, the night Chris Gunter became Wales’ all time most capped player.
Lawrence played his part in Wales’ European Championship qualifying campaign, making three appearances on the road to qualification, notably keeping a clean sheet in the opening fixture against Slovakia.
Embed from Getty ImagesWayne Cegielski – Stuttgarter Kickers
Another Welsh defender to have played in the German leagues, Wayne Cegielski spent a brief spell at Stuttgarter Kickers between 1975 and 1976.
Cegielski began his career at Tottenham Hotspur, before making the move to the 2. Bundesliga.
The defender’s stay in German football was a short one and what followed was an equally prompt spell at Tacoma Tides, before settling at Wrexham, where he spent six years.
Cegielski made 123 appearances for the club, but left in July 1982 to join Port Vale, where the defender also enjoyed success, as he was named the club’s Player of the Year at the end of his first season with the Valiants.
The Bedwellty born defender’s career came to an end in 1988, after spells at Blackpool, Hereford United, Tegs SK, Worcester City and Northwich Victoria.
(Featured Image: Lewis Mitchell)
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