Battling Jonathan Burkardt inspiring for Mainz and Germany
An inspiring example of positivity in the face of adversity, Mainz striker Jonathan Burkardt famously battled back from a serious knee injury to win his first senior Germany caps and become a fearsome goal threat at club level once more.
The 05ers' No.29 recently sat down with bundesliga.com to look back over a period of incredible contrast for the striker.
Burkardt's combined 32 minutes in Germany's recent UEFA Nations League Group A games against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Netherlands not only represented his first senior appearances at international level, but also a reward for incredible persistence and superb goalscoring form at Mainz.
Watch: Burkardt at the double in Augsburg
The 24-year-old forward - whose stock shot up after a UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2021 - could have been forgiven for failing to make it back to his best after undergoing a double knee surgery that kept him off the pitch for 378 days. The recovery from a bone marrow edema was gruelling, however, Burkardt's attitude to the setback was refreshing.
“I'm proud of how I handled it and that I was going to make it through was pretty clear to me," the Mainz marksman explained. "I somehow managed to stay positive most of the time and then, when I did come back, I managed to do so without breaking down or facing any more major setbacks. That makes me very, very proud, and I think it was a defining time for me as well," the Darmstadt native continued.
"You learn to focus on what's coming and not on what's already happened. I think that's really important. If you're constantly thinking, 'Oh, poor me, I'm injured,' or 'I got hurt, and this didn't go well, and that didn't go well,' then it's super hard to stay positive. I think you should focus on the progress you've made and then look at everything that's still to come and what you can still achieve. That makes it a bit easier to deal with, I believe.”
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His playing return away at Hoffenheim in November of last year was an emotional occasion for the striker. After the game - a 1-1 draw - Burkardt embraced his girlfriend and family in the away end. Understandably, tears were shed. Just three months later, the Mainz favourite combined his positive attitude with that of new coach Bo Henriksen's, and it was as if the stars aligned.
Burkardt scored in his first game under the Dane (against Borussia Mönchengladbach), and would do so again six more times as Mainz completed a famous survival story on the last day of the season.
"It was an incredible time for me," the forward recalled. "I'm very happy that I was able to come back and be part of that story of staying in the league. It was a lot of fun and probably the most emotional time, even in my career. With the comeback and then achieving survival in the league, it was a really beautiful time.”
Watch: Burkardt bags another brace in St. Pauli
On that crucial understanding with Henriksen, Burkardt explained: "[The coach] brings a lot of energy and positive vibes, but that's not all there is to him. I believe he has a good understanding of people and knows how to deal with them well. There's nothing that really wears out over time. It may seem that way from the outside, but internally it's different; he doesn't just have an emotional side."
Henriksen would have been forgiven for feeling plenty of that excitement he exudes pre-match at Mainz when seeing his striker step onto the Bilino Polje pitch in Zenica to replace Deniz Undav on 11 October for the striker's Germany debut against Bosnia. Julian Nagelsmann's side won 2-1, and were victors again against the Dutch three days later, when Burkardt was also involved.
"It's definitely a higher level and you're just extremely happy to be able to compete with these players and to have the opportunity to train with them daily, to challenge them, but also to learn from them," the Mainz man said of his time with Germany.
"I think you take a lot away from it, whether it's their training enthusiasm or other things off the pitch, you gain many new impressions, and it's a very cool time. I felt pretty good, especially having made two appearances, which made me very, very happy. I think for the first time being there and getting to play in both games is not something to take for granted. I'm very proud of that.”
Burkardt can be proud of his start to the current domestic campaign too, with five goals in just seven games, including a couple of doubles away to Augsburg and St. Pauli. "The first few matchdays were been a bit up and down," he said of his team's opening to the 2024/25 season. "But of course, we want to improve, especially by getting more points at home and making our fans happy with strong performances. If we can do that, I believe it can be a good season for us."
With Burkardt on board, the 05ers will never be short of passion, drive and determination up top.
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