From providing the assist for Mario Goetze’s World Cup winner in Rio de Janiero to joining newly promoted Fulham on loan.

Andre Schurrle, 27, was the subject of a number of high profile transfers following Germany’s World Cup triumph; moving from Chelsea to Wolfsburg and finally Borussia Dortmund, where injuries and a change of manager cost him his spot in the lineup.

At Craven Cottage, Schurrle will look to get his career back on track with consistent game time in a league which favours power and pace.

Player profile

Name: Andre Schurrle

Age: 27

Club: Borussia Dortmund

Nationality: German

Height: 1.84m

Preferred foot: Right

Playing position: Left Winger

Value: £13.5m (via Transfermarkt)

A versatile player, Schurrle can play across the front line as a striker, right winger or in his favoured left winger position. From the left, he likes to cut in at pace onto his right foot and is capable of unleashing accurately from range.

As a winger, he has pace in abundance but will often look for a shooting opportunity before beating a player to the by-line. As a newly promoted team, the Cottagers will be on the back foot often so the German’s pace will come in handy on the break.

Inside the box, the German has poaching instincts and is able to find pockets of space for teammates to find him. He can strike the ball fiercely with either foot or creatively use the outside of his boot or heel to guide the ball into the net.

From World Cup winner to new boys Fulham

The 27-year-old joined Fulham from Borussia Dortmund on a two-year loan deal this week, having endured a turbulent few years since the World Cup final.

But four years after Germany’s triumph, there was no place in Joachim Low’s ultimately dismal 2018 World Cup campaign and under new coach Lucien Favre, the winger is behind the likes of Chrsitian Pulisic, Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus and Maximilian Philipp in the pecking order at Borussia Dortmund.

But when he joined, there were high hopes for Schurrle. He remains Dortmund’s club record fee at £27m after joining in 2016 to be reunited with Thomas Tuchel, under whom he made his breakthrough at Mainz. But it was not meant to be. His first season was plagued by injuries and by the time he was fit for the second, the club itself was in disarray following the departure of Tuchel, Marco Reus’s injury and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s foot already out the door.

Ultimately, Schurrle scored just three goals in 33 league games and only managed nine assists in 51 appearances. At Mainz he managed 20 in 66, at Leverkusen he scored 18 in 65, for Chelsea he got 11 in 44 and in two seasons as Wolfsburg he knocked up 10 in 43. Internationally he has scored an impressive 22 in 57.

Favre is looking to overhaul the team and push Dortmund’s young talent to the forefront, leaving little room for Schurrle. The German has decided to look elsewhere for football and landed at Fulham after being contacted first by the eager Cottagers.

“Fulham were the first club that showed interest in me – that was something that I appreciated a lot, and one of the reasons I wanted to come here.

I love ball possession, I love attacking, and I love making runs, so I think it could be perfect. I have to fight for my place and I have to show my quality so that I can be a member who really helps the team.”

How will he fit in at Fulham?

Championship Player of the Year Ryan Sessegnon will play as the left-winger in Slavisa Jokanovic’s possession-based 4-3-3 formation. At least five players featured on the opposite flank during Fulham’s promotion winning campaign last year. But it’s hard to see any of Floyd Anite, Neeskens Kebano, Sheyi Ojo, Lucaz Piazon or Aboubakar Kamara beating the World Cup winner on the right flank.

Fulham understand they won’t be able to dominate possession and press teams as aggressively in the top flight. Schurrle’s pace will help on the break against stronger teams. Meanwhile, his intelligence off the ball and ability from range will help at Craven Cottage when Fulham can dominate the ball against bottom half teams.

Verdict

There is no option to buy Schurrle for Fulham. This means Dortmund can recall him at anytime during his two-year loan stay. Fulham offers Schurrle the chance to be the main man at an ambitious Premier League club. At 27 and with his play style, he has time for one more big contract and shot at international football. Fulham have a motivated, skilful international winger for nothing and Schurrle has a platform to play his best football again.