Benedikt Höwedes joins Juventus for the 2017/18 season

“It wasn’t an easy decision for us to make but, however because of Benedikt Höwedes’ service to the club over the years, we want to allow him to fulfil his desire to join Juventus and have agreed a loan for the player,” explained sporting director Christian Heidel. “We all wish Benedikt the best in Italy,” he added.

Benedikt Höwedes has been a great servant to FC Schalke 04 since he joined the Knappenschmiede in the summer of 2001. After a total of six seasons in the S04 development squad in which “Bene” won the German championship with the U19s, the defender signed a professional contract and made his debut in October 2007 in a 2-0 Champions League victory against Rosenberg. A few days later, Höwedes made his Bundesliga debut against Karlsruher SC. He played a key role in Schalke finishing runners-up in the Bundesliga in 2010, as well as being crucial in Schalke reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2011. The defender chipped in with a goal in a 5-0 win against MSV Duisburg in the DFB-Pokal final.

For the last six years, Höwedes has been the Royal Blues’ captain. In his decade at the club, he made a total of 240 Bundesliga appearances for S04 and scored 12 goals. Benedikt featured 27 times in the DFB-Pokal, scoring five goals, as well as 66 appearances and six goals scored in European competitions. Benedikt Höwedes has the most international caps of any player to ever play for the Royal Blues.

Höwedes also made history in Germany colours. At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, not only did he play every minute of all seven matches at left back, he also became the first Royal Blue to start in a World Cup final and be on the winning side, as Die Mannschaft ran out 1-0 winners against Argentina.