The Bundesliga's top 5 U21 players with the most minutes in 2024/25
The Bundesliga has long been a hot bed for young talent, with many rough diamonds polishing their game in the German top flight on their way to becoming worldwide superstars. Here, bundesliga.com takes you through the five players under the age of 21 with the most minutes amongst Germany’s elite after six matchdays this term…
1) Hugo Larsson (Eintracht Frankfurt) – 511 minutes
Top of the pile is Frankfurt’s Larsson, who has played more minutes in the Bundesliga this term than anyone else under the age of 21. In fact, only four other Eagles have spent more time on the pitch in the league than the Sweden international in 2024/25, with the midfielder quickly developing into one of Dino Toppmöller’s key performers. Not only has he found the back of the net on two occasions, in victories over Hoffenheim and Borussia Mönchengladbach, but he has also covered more distance than any of his teammates and has completed over 90 percent of his attempted passes.
2) Paul Wanner (Heidenheim) – 443 minutes
Despite being just 18 years of age, Wanner has started each of Heidenheim’s six Bundesliga games this term and has softened the blow of Tim Kleindienst and Jan-Niklas Beste’s departures. As Frank Schmidt’s men stormed to top spot after the opening two matchdays, the Bayern Munich loanee shone, scoring against both St. Pauli and Augsburg while also providing an assist against the former. The goals have dried up since then, and Heidenheim have won just one of their past four league matches, losing the other three, but Wanner clearly has a huge future ahead of him. His three goals in three UEFA Conference League and DFB Cup games are further proof of his ability.
Watch: Paul Wanner - making waves at Heidenheim
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3) Aleksandar Pavlović (Bayern Munich) – 413 minutes
Pavlović broke into the fist team in 2023/24 and has become an important member of Vincent Kompany’s starting XI this term too, missing just one of Bayern’s six Bundesliga matches to date. The 20-year-old has settled into a defensive midfield role alongside Joshua Kimmich, proving to be calm in possession and strong in the tackle. His stunning strike in the 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen, an effort which won him the Bundesliga Goal of the Month award for September, was particularly memorable, and his club performances have earned him three Germany caps out of a possible four across the past two international breaks.
Watch: Pavlović wins September Goal of the Month
4) Tom Rothe (Union Berlin) – 381 minutes
Rothe was a crucial component of Holstein Kiel’s promotion last term during his loan spell from Borussia Dortmund, racking up seven assists along the way, and given BVB’s lack of options at left-back, it was something of a surprise to see them sell him to Union in the summer. There was initially a Robin Gosens-sized obstacle in Rothe’s way at the Stadion an der Alten Försterei, but the Germany international’s move to Fiorentina has opened the door for the new arrival, and he has grabbed his opportunity with both hands. He netted his first goal for Die Eisernen in the 2-1 win over Hoffenheim, and has generally impressed as Union have risen to sixth in the Bundesliga.
5) Tim Drexler (Hoffenheim) – 331 minutes
It has been a difficult beginning to the campaign for Hoffenheim, which has been a steep learning curve from Drexler. The teenager was a regular towards the end of last season, and Pellegrino Matarazzo has continued to put his faith in the 19-year-old Bruchsal native. The Sinsheim club have shipped 16 goals already – only Kiel have conceded more – but Drexler is hardly to blame for that defensive inefficiency. Hopefully, Matarazzo will continue to keep faith with the centre-back as the season progresses, as that is the only way he will come close to fulfilling his obvious potential.
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