Two years after his departure from FC Schalke 04, Matthew Hoppe changes clubs again. The striker is leaving Europe.

He was the bright spot in FC Schalke 04’s penultimate relegation season: Matthew Hoppe. But two years after the 22-year-old left the Königsblauen, his career takes another turn.

Hoppe is returning to his homeland after four years in Europe and will play for the San Jose Earthquakes in the North American MLS in the future. For the striker, it is already the fourth stop after his departure from Gelsenkirchen.

The club from California has signed Hoppe on loan from Middlesbrough FC until the end of the season and secured an option for a permanent transfer. “Matthew is an exciting young player who has already gained a lot of experience in different leagues,” managing director Chris Leitch was quoted as saying.

Hoppe arrived at the Schalker Knappenschmiede from the USA in 2019 and received his first professional contract a year and a half later. He experienced his greatest moment in Schalke’s disastrous relegation season in 2020/21.

Schalke received millions for Matthew Hoppe

He scored a hat trick to lead S04 to their first win of the season in a 4-0 win over TSG Hoffenheim – and catapulted himself into the spotlight. He also scored in the following two games and shortly before the end of the season, making Hoppe Schalke’s most successful scorer with six goals.

After relegation, the Königsblauen sold the attacker to RCD Mallorca for an alleged 3.5 million euros. The eight-time USA international (one goal) was not able to assert himself. He moved on to English second-division club FC Middlesbrough, where he also hardly made an impression and was loaned to Hibernian FC in Scotland last winter.

In the future, Hoppe wants to return to happier times on the U.S. West Coast and help the club reach the playoffs. The Earthquakes, who also have former Augsburg player Carlos Gruezo under contract, are currently on course to finish sixth in the Western Conference.