Tom Bischof: Who is the teenaged midfielder making a splash at Hoffenheim?
Having featured for Hoffenheim since the age of 16, Tom Bischof is making all the right noises in Germany's top flight in 2024/25. bundesliga.com has the lowdown on the rising midfield star...
Data correct as of 9 December 2024
Age: 19 (born 28 June 2005)
Club: Hoffenheim
Position: Midfielder
Country: Germany (37 youth caps, 16 goals)
Key stats
Bischof demonstated his creative prowess with 21 goals and 16 assists for Hoffenheim's U17s, 19s and reserves whilst making history as the club's youngest Bundesliga debutant, aged 16, in March 2022. The Germany youth international had featured in 25 Bundesliga games by the end of the 2023/24 campaign, before eventually establishing himself in the senior side in the early part of 2024/25. He scored his first Bundesliga goal against RB Leipzig - a superb free-kick past Péter Gulácsi - and notched another fine strike as Hoffenheim drew with Freiburg.
Watch: Tom Bischof sinks free-kick as Hoffenheim beat Leipzig 4-3
The faith placed in his talent at club level is reflected in Bischof's 30-plus appearances for Germany at U16, U17, U18, U19 and U20 level. He was even awarded the prestigious Fritz Walter gold medal in October 2024 as his country's best player in his age group.
Plays a bit like: Leon Goretzka
Bischof's bustling box-to-box style coupled with his powerful striking ability have led to comparisons with Bayern Munich counterpart Leon Goretzka. While perhaps not packing the same kind of physicality as Goretzka, the Hoffenheim dynamo does possess great comfort on the ball and the vision to operate as a playmaker.
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Did you know?
Bischof is among a group of Hoffenheim players that are avid fans of the card game Wizard. His celebration after scoring against Freiburg involved pointing at a sticker with the letter 'Z' on the arm of team-mate Jacob Bruun Larsen, with Bischof explaining after the game on Hoffenheim's Instagram channel that the Z stands for 'Zauberer' or 'wizard', which is the most powerful card available in the game.
What they're saying
"He has good parents and good advisors behind him who take care of the outside world so he can concentrate on football. He is good for us because he plays football with a sense of freedom, doesn't think too much about it and doesn't let himself get upset." - Hoffenheim coach Christian Ilzer
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