User:YoungsterLiam57/Jonas Burgstaller

Jonas Patrick Burgstaller (born 11 October 2004) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a right winger for and captains both Bundesliga club Bayer 04 Leverkusen and the Austrian national team. Considered one of the best young players in the world, he is known for his pace, dribbling skill, and crossing capability.

Burgstaller began his professional career in Austria with Sturm Graz. In his debut season, he scored 25 goals and assisted 34 times in all competitions, and won the Austrian Bundesliga. He joined German side Bayer Leverkusen in July 2023 for a reported transfer fee of €63 million.

Burgstaller represented Austria at under 18 international levels. He made his senior debut in 2022 aged 18 in a 4-0 loss against England.

Early life and career
Burgstaller was born on 11 October 2004 in Gratwein, the second of three children of Jürgen Burgstaller, a taxi driver, and Karla Burgstaller, an elementary school teacher. Burgstaller grew up in a football-loving household as his father is the son of former Austrian defender Thomas Burgstaller and his mother is the niece of former Austrian goalkeeper Patrick Hölzer, from whom he gets his second name.

He joined the youth ranks of his hometown club GSV RB Gratwein alongside his older brother Kaspar (b 2001) in 2013 at the age of 8, where he started his career as a striker but was later transformed into a winger, thanks to his pace and crossing skills. In 2016 he joined the Sturm Graz Academy.

Sturm Graz
Burgstaller played for Sturm Graz in the 2022-23 Austrian Bundesliga season where here scored 21 goals and assisted 31 times in a season that saw Sturm Graz win its first title since the 2010-11 season. Thanks to his performances for his club, Burgstaller won the Austrian Bundesliga Player of the Season award at the end of the season. Burgstaller also scored 4 and assisted 2 in Sturm Graz's 2022–23 UEFA Europa League campaign where they finished bottom of their group with 7 points. He gave 1 assist in the club's ÖFB-Cup campaign where they were knocked out in the semi-final by Rapid Wien. At Sturm Graz, Burgstaller predominantly played as an attacking midfielder.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Burgstaller signed for Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the summer of 2023 after receiving offers from various other clubs like Manchester United F.C. and Real Madrid CF. He made his official debut for the club on 12 August 2023 in a 5-3 win over FC Bayern Munich in the 2023 DFL-Supercup. He made his Bundesliga debut the following week in another game against Bayern where he scored his first goal for the club.

Youth level
Burgstaller played for the Austria national under-18 team from 2020 aged only 15 until 2022. Originally supposed to play for the national under-16 team, he impressed so much during training that he was promoted to the under-18 squad, where he scored 11 goals and gave 19 assists in 28 matches.

Debut season at senior level and captain controversy
Burgstaller made his senior debut for the Austria in September 2022 in a 4-0 loss against England. Burgstaller was controversially made captain of the Austrian national team before the match, a move which was received with shock by Austrian football fans, with one fan stating that "It makes no sense to make such a young lad captain of his entire nation." Burgstaller failed to score or assist in his first three games for the Austrian national team before finally hitting the net twice in a 3-1 win over Hungary.

Style of play
Burgstaller is a left-footed winger that is known for his pace, dribbling skill, and crossing capability. Christian Ilzer, his manager at Sturm Graz, described him as one of the most complete midfielders he had ever had the chance to coach. He has been called one of the best talents Austria ever had by Austria legend Hans Krankl.

Club
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Honours
 Sturm Graz  Bayer Leverkusen  Individual 
 * Austrian Bundesliga: 2022-23
 * DFL-Supercup: 2023
 * Austrian Bundesliga Player of the Month: September 2022, February 2023
 * Austrian Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2022-23
 * Austrian Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2022-23

Personal life
Burgstaller is the grandson and grandnephew of former Austrian internationals Thomas Burgstaller and Patrick Hölzer. Both of Burgstaller's siblings are also professional footballers. His older brother, Kaspar Thomas Burgstaller (b 2001), plays as a defender for 2. Liga club DSV Leoben and his youngster sister, Emma Burgstaller (b 2006), plays as an attacking midfielder in the 2. Frauen-Bundesliga for VfL Wolfsburg II and the Austria national under-17 team.