Derry Scherhant and the sheet that changed his career

German winger Scherhant, 21, has risen from Berlin's lower divisions to Freiburg and a Germany call-up under Klopp after two goals and three assists this season.

Derry Scherhant's path to the Bundesliga was unconventional. Born in Berlin in 2002, he played for local clubs before joining Hertha's academy, where a handwritten chart of 15 goal targets pinned above his bedroom door became a turning point—he scored 16 with the B team instead. After impressing Hertha's coaching staff, he moved to Freiburg in summer 2025.

Now 21, the left winger has caught the attention of Germany manager Jürgen Klopp with two goals and three assists in his first seven Bundesliga matches. He made his debut for the national team in October against Serbia and has since played against Greece. Standing 1.85m tall and naturally right-footed, Scherhant can play as a winger or in a more central role.

His rise reflects determination forged during adversity. During the pandemic, when football pitches closed, he would scale fences at training grounds to maintain fitness, practicing dribbling and acceleration in the dark when possible. His family—his father from Cameroon, his mother from Berlin—has been central to his journey, attending matches from his earliest days. His idols include Marcus Rashford, Samuel Eto'o, and Memphis Depay, whose autobiography he read in English, stopping to look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary.