1. Overview
Maximilian Eggestein (Maximilian Eggesteinmaksiˈmiːliaːn ˈʔɛɡəʃtaɪnGerman; born 8 December 1996) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder, primarily in a defensive midfielder role, for SC Freiburg. Born in Hanover, Germany, Eggestein stands 71 in (181 cm) tall and weighs 165 lb (75 kg). He comes from a footballing family, being the son of former footballer Karl Eggestein and the older brother of fellow professional footballer Johannes Eggestein.
2. Early life and youth career
Maximilian Eggestein's journey in football began at a very young age, influenced by his family's involvement in the sport.
2.1. Family and early football
Eggestein was born on 8 December 1996. His father, Karl Eggestein, was a former footballer, and his younger brother, Johannes Eggestein, also became a professional footballer. Maximilian started playing football at the age of four with TSV Schloss Ricklingen. Between the ages of seven and eight, he joined TSV Havelse, a club where his father was also involved.
2.2. Youth club career
Maximilian Eggestein continued his development at TSV Havelse before moving to the Werder Bremen youth academy in 2011. He played within the Werder Bremen youth system until 2014, honing his skills and preparing for his professional debut.
3. Club career
Maximilian Eggestein's professional club career has seen him play for SV Werder Bremen and SC Freiburg, marking significant milestones and contributions at both clubs.
3.1. Werder Bremen
Eggestein joined Werder Bremen in 2011, initially progressing through their youth setup before making his mark on the senior teams.
3.1.1. Werder Bremen II and senior debut
In 2014, Eggestein was promoted to SV Werder Bremen II. He made his debut for the reserve team on 1 August 2014, in a Regionalliga Nord match against Eintracht Braunschweig II. Later that year, on 29 November 2014, he made his Bundesliga debut for Werder Bremen's senior team against SC Paderborn 07. He entered the match in the 83rd minute as a substitute for Levent Ayçiçek in a 4-0 home victory. This debut made him the second-youngest player in Werder Bremen's history to debut in the Bundesliga, a record surpassed only by Thomas Schaaf.
3.1.2. Professional contract and establishment
In February 2015, Eggestein signed his first professional contract with Werder Bremen, committing to the club until 2018. In the subsequent 2015-16 season, he made his full debut for the senior team, featuring in the number 10 role (an attacking midfielder position) when Werder played Hertha BSC on 22 August 2015. Under coach Alexander Nouri in the 2016-17 season, Eggestein underwent a significant positional change, being converted from an attacking midfielder to a defensive or holding midfielder. This conversion proved successful, as he began to gain more consistent playing opportunities in his new role.
3.1.3. Key seasons and contract extensions
Following his strong performances in the latter half of the 2016-17 season, Eggestein extended his contract with Werder Bremen in April 2017, securing his presence at the club until 2020. An agreement for this extension was also announced in July 2017. During the 2017-18 season, he continued to establish himself, often competing for a starting position with Philipp Bargfrede. This period also saw his younger brother, Johannes Eggestein, gradually integrate into the first-team squad.
On 18 August 2018, Eggestein scored his first goal of the 2018-19 season in a DFB-Pokal first-round match, contributing to a 6-1 victory against Wormatia Worms. His consistent performance, especially under coach Florian Kohfeldt, who had previously coached him in the youth system, led to another long-term contract extension announced on 10 April 2019. His brother Johannes also agreed to an extension at the same time. During the 2018-19 season, Werder Bremen reached the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal. Eggestein spent a total of ten years with Werder Bremen, progressing from the youth academy to a key senior player.
3.2. SC Freiburg
After a decade with Werder Bremen, Maximilian Eggestein made a significant move to SC Freiburg in August 2021, following Werder Bremen's relegation from the Bundesliga. He joined Freiburg, where he plays as a midfielder, typically wearing the number 8 shirt.
4. International career
Maximilian Eggestein has represented Germany at various youth levels and received a call-up to the senior national team.
4.1. Youth national teams
Eggestein was called up to the Germany U-20 squad in 2015. He made his debut and scored his first goal for the U-20 team on 13 September 2015, in a match against Italy U-20. He went on to make 6 appearances for the U-20 squad.
For the Germany U-21 squad, Eggestein made his debut on 5 September 2017, against Kosovo U-21. He was included in the squad for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship held in Italy and San Marino. He featured in the final of the tournament against Spain U-21, where Germany finished as runners-up. Overall, he accumulated 16 appearances for the U-21 national team.
4.2. Senior national team
In March 2019, Maximilian Eggestein received his first call-up to the German senior national team, marking a significant step in his international career.
5. Honours
Maximilian Eggestein has achieved notable successes with his clubs and the German national youth teams throughout his career.
5.1. Club
- DFB-Pokal: Semi-finalist (2018-19)
5.2. International
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: Runner-up (2019)
6. Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | DFB-Pokal | Europe | Other | Total | Notes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Werder Bremen II | 2014-15 | Regionalliga Nord | 32 | 4 | - | - | 2 | 0 | 34 | 4 | Appearances in Regionalliga promotion play-offs | ||
| 2015-16 | 3. Liga | 9 | 1 | - | - | - | 9 | 1 | |||||
| 2016-17 | 13 | 2 | - | - | - | 13 | 2 | ||||||
| Total | 54 | 7 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 56 | 7 | ||||
| Werder Bremen | 2014-15 | Bundesliga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2015-16 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 8 | 0 | |||||
| 2016-17 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 15 | 1 | |||||
| 2017-18 | 33 | 2 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 37 | 3 | |||||
| 2018-19 | 34 | 5 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 39 | 6 | |||||
| 2019-20 | 32 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 40 | 1 | Appearances in Bundesliga relegation play-offs | |||
| 2020-21 | 33 | 2 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 38 | 2 | |||||
| 2021-22 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 159 | 12 | 20 | 2 | - | 2 | 0 | 181 | 14 | ||||
| SC Freiburg | 2021-22 | Bundesliga | 31 | 1 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 36 | 2 | |||
| 2022-23 | 31 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | 43 | 1 | Appearances in UEFA Europa League | |||
| 2023-24 | 33 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 1 | - | 45 | 3 | Appearances in UEFA Europa League | |||
| 2024-25 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 25 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 117 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 149 | 6 | |||
| Career total | 330 | 22 | 35 | 4 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 386 | 27 | |||