Patrick Wimmer: Who is the Wolfsburg and Austria winger?
Patrick Wimmer is part of a Bundesliga-heavy contingent in Ralf Rangnick's Austria squad for UEFA Euro 2024. bundesliga takes a closer look at the Wolfsburg attacker...
Stats correct as of 10 June 2024
Age: 23
Club: Wolfsburg
Position: Winger/attacking midfielder
Country: Austria (12 caps, one goal)
Key stats
Wimmer's rise from amateur to professional football was about as quick as it gets. Starting out at SC Sitzenberg-Reidling, he moved to SG Waidhofen/Ybbs for 2015/16 and climbed to the fourth division of Austrian football in 2017/18 with SV Gaflenz, still as an amateur. From there, it took just two years before he was noticed by Austria Vienna.
After 47 senior games and four goals for the Austrian giants, Wimmer took the next step in his career by joining promoted Bundesliga club Arminia Bielefeld in summer 2021. He marked his debut with a goal, but made even more headlines with a 'Rabona' assist in the 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt later in the 2021/22 season.
Wimmer also made his senior debut for Austria in June 2022 - under former RB Leipzig boss Rangnick - starting in a 2-0 loss to Denmark in the UEFA Nations League.
Switching to Wolfsburg soon after, he ended 2022/23 with a single-season best return of 12 goal involvements for his new club. However, the Austria international missed more than half of the following campaign through injury.
Plays a bit like: Marco Reus
Wimmer is at his best when he gets the ball at the feet and is able to run at opposition defenders, using his pace and ball control to get into dangerous positions either for a cross or to take a shot himself. At times, his game is reminsicent of a young Marco Reus.
Watch: The best of Patrick Wimmer
Did you know?
Wimmer's goal in the 1-1 draw with Frankfurt on 28 August 2021 made him the first ever Austria U21 player to score on his Bundesliga debut, and the fifth-youngest Austrian ever to score in Germany's top flight after David Alaba, Harald Cerny, Kevin Danso and, by just four days, Martin Harnik.
What they're saying
"He’s versatile, can play on either wing but also be used as a second striker or right-back. He brings power, energy and pace. He also possesses great shooting ability, plays without inhibition, creates chances and has an eye for his teammates. He wants to keep getting better and he will certainly enhance our game." - Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schäfer
"It's nice to be compared to two world-class players. I'm on the right track myself, but I still have a lot of room for improvement." - Wimmer on being likened to Messi and De Bruyne
"There's something crazy and care-free about him; he's got a youthful folly. If he sticks at it and works on getting some of the basics right, then he'll be even more valuable." – Wimmer's former Bielefeld teammate Stefan Ortega
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