Timo Werner
German Footballer
Timo Werner is a German footballer who plays as a forward for Chelsea FC.
Timo Werner
• Date of birth: 6 March 1996
• Age: 26 years old
• Place of birth: Stuttgart, Germany
• Nationality: Germany
• Position: Forward
• Height: 180cm / 5ft 11ins
• Weight: 75kg / 165lbs
• Wages: £270,000 per week (Reported)
• Instagram: @timowerner
• Twitter: @TimoWerner
The 26-year-old attacker began his career at his hometown club of Stuttgart in Germany, before moving on to sign for RB Leipzig in 2016.
He scored more than 70 league goals for Leipzig before earning a big-money transfer to Chelsea FC under Frank Lampard in the summer of 2020.
Werner helped Chelsea FC to win the Champions League trophy in his first season at the south west London side.
He made his senior international debut for Germany in 2017 and has been a regular fixture in his country’s team since then.
So, what do we know about Timo’s journey to becoming the impressive attacker he is today? This is his story.
Early Life, Parents And Upbringing
Timo Werner was born on 6 March 1996 in Stuttgart, Germany, to mother Sabine Werner and father Gunther Schuh.
After kicking off his youth career, he joined VfB Stuttgart’s academy in 2002. He quickly progressed through the ranks of his hometown club and was promoted to the Under-19 team despite being only 16 years old at the time.
Werner’s footballing career was starting to take off, but his mother Sabine was keen for him to finish school before pursuing the sport full-time.
“I signed with VfB before the end of high school at 17,” Werner explains. “I could have focused solely on football, but my mother really wanted me to finish school.
“I never considered not doing it to be honest. That wouldn’t have been smart. In hindsight, I’m quite proud that I managed to finish school and kick on with my professional football career.”
Timo Werner (Photo: @timowerner / Instagram)
Stuttgart
After impressing in Stuttgart’s youth set-up, Werner signed his first professional contract with the club in March 2014, penning a three-and-a-half year deal until 2018.
At the time, Werner said: “It’s something very special for me. It’s a dream being realised.”
Werner continued his good form with Stuttgart and went on to score 13 goals in 95 league appearances. However, they were relegated to the Bundesliga 2 division in the 2015-16 season and Werner was soon to be on the move.
RB Leipzig
Werner opted to leave Stuttgart and sign for RB Leipzig in the summer of 2016, with the forward penning a four-year contract after a fee of around €10m was agreed between the two clubs.
He continued his rapid development at Leipzig, netting 78 league goals in 127 games across four seasons with the German side.
In the 2016-17 season, Werner hit an impressive 21 goals in the Bundesliga, helping RB Leipzig to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
He continued to be a regular and prolific goal-scorer in the seasons that followed, with his best campaign at Leipzig coming in 2019-20, where he scored 34 goals in 45 games across all competitions.
Werner broke a number of records during his time at Leipzig, including becoming the youngest player to play in 100 Bundesliga matches. He then also became the youngest player to reach the milestone of 150 Bundesliga appearances.
Despite his prolific form in front of goal, Werner did not win a major trophy with RB Leipzig, and his team finished as runners-up in the DFB-Pokal in the 2018-19 campaign.
Timo Werner (Photo: Chelsea TV)
Chelsea FC
Werner’s prolific form for RB Leipzig had caught the attention of a number of Europe’s top clubs, and he eventually ended up signing for Chelsea FC in the summer of 2020.
Chelsea FC, who were managed by Frank Lampard at the time, opted to activate the £47.5m release clause in Werner’s contract, and he joined the south west London side on 1 July 2020, signing an initial five-year contract. Werner’s wages were estimated to be around £270,000 per week or £14m per year.
Werner was understandably delighted to be joining Chelsea FC, saying at the time: “It is a very proud moment for me to be joining this great club. I of course want to thank RB Leipzig, the club and the fans, for four fantastic years. You will forever be in my heart. I look forward to next season with my new team-mates, my new manager and of course the Chelsea fans. Together we have a very successful future ahead of us.”
Timo Werner (Photo: Chelsea TV / YouTube)
Werner also revealed that then-Blues boss Lampard played an important role in convincing him to move to the south west London side.
“He [Lampard] was the main point,” Werner told Chelsea TV in July 2020. “We talked a lot about things like system, like how he wants to play and sees me playing, and how the system fits to me. He is a really nice guy who not only told me what he wants from me as a player because he wants to help me as a guy. He knows me now a little bit better and it fits very good between us and now I am happy to be here.”
Werner made his Premier League debut for Chelsea FC on 14 September 2020, in a 3-1 away victory against Brighton and Hove Albion. Two weeks later, he scored his first goal for the Blues in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham in the League Cup fourth round, a tie Chelsea FC ended up losing on penalties.
Werner netted his first Premier League goals when he scored twice in a 3-3 draw with Southampton at Stamford Bridge on 17 October 2020.
It was not a hugely prolific first season for Werner at Stamford Bridge, with the German netting a total of 12 goals in 52 games in all competitions for the Blues.
However, despite Frank Lampard’s sacking midway through the campaign, the season ended on a positive note when the Blues claimed Champions League glory, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final on 29 May 2021. Werner scored four goals in 12 games for the Blues in the Champions League that season.
Timo Werner and Kai Havertz (Photo: @timowerner / Instagram)
International Career
Werner represented Germany at various youth levels – Under-15, Under-16, Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 before making his senior debut for his country.
The forward made his first appearance for the senior Germany team in 2017 and has been a regular fixture in the side since then.
At Euro 2020, Werner made three appearances for Germany as they were knocked out by England in the last 16 at Wembley.
Life Away From The Pitch
At the time of his move to Chelsea FC from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2020, Werner was dating girlfriend Julia Nagler.
In August 2021, Werner was reported to have chased a lost dog for more than a mile in a London park but couldn’t catch the terrier, who was later returned safely to their owner.
Timo Werner (Photo: Chelsea TV / YouTube)
What Have Others Said?
Former Chelsea FC boss Frank Lampard, speaking in December 2021, reflecting on the move to sign Werner in the summer of 2020: “In the first year we had conversations about what players we wanted in the summer. I was never out of the loop. It was very open.
“Timo was a big one because Liverpool and Manchester United were in for him. When I had the conversation with Timo, I knew I had to be on my game to get him to come.”
Former Liverpool FC star Jamie Carragher on Werner’s place in the Chelsea FC team, speaking in August 2021: “I wouldn’t write Timo Werner off because that pace that he’s got is really dangerous and I wouldn’t want to play against it.
“That can still be a huge asset for Chelsea. Those players who play behind the striker, a lot of them are pretty similar.
“I’m not saying he’s going to play every week and he’s going to rip up the league, but I still see him as a dangerous player who I wouldn’t want to play against. I think he can still be a huge asset for Chelsea.”
