Third division club Rot-Weiss Essen has a new striker in its ranks. Leonardo Vonic made his first appearance in a test match on Wednesday.
In soccer, things can sometimes happen very quickly. On Saturday, Leonardo Vonic was still on the pitch for 1. FC Nürnberg II in the regional league match against DJK Vilzing (3:5) and then just three days later, the striker was introduced as a new recruit at Rot-Weiss Essen.
After the obligatory medical check at Hafenstrasse, the 20-year-old signed a long-term contract until 2026. The parties agreed not to disclose the terms of the transfer.
On Wednesday, the Croatian then directly completed his first game in the RWE jersey. He came on as a substitute at the start of the second half of a 6-0 test match against Adler Union Frintrop, a team promoted to the top division in Essen.
The striker missed his first goal when he just missed the target with his head after a corner. “It’s a shame I didn’t score my goal, but it was a great feeling overall. I didn’t expect so many fans to come to a test match. I’m not used to that, but it was fun,” Vonic said in his first interview after the game.
When asked what was the biggest crowd Vonic has played in front of so far, the 20-year-old replied, “3,000, 4,000 fans it must have been at an international match.” At Hafenstrasse, of course, the youngster can expect very different numbers. Last season, RWE had the second-largest spectator average in the entire 3rd division. “I’m looking forward to that. The fans also played a big role in my decision,” emphasized the new striker.
I’m very hungry for goals. I can definitely say that. I just want to score goals. My goal is to keep up my performance in the 3rd division and score as many goals as possible.
Leonardo Vonic.
Vonic says he can be used flexibly in the offense. He feels most comfortable at forward center and left wing: “Those are my two favorite positions. I’m very hungry for goals. I can definitely say that. I just want to score goals. My goal is to keep up my performance in the 3rd League and score as many goals as possible. “