VfB Homberg have also struck from SV Straelen, who have withdrawn from the Lower Rhine Oberliga. The captain is coming.

VfB Homberg managed a small transfer coup during the winter break. Luca Thissen, who captained SV Straelen in the first half of the season, will strengthen the team of coach Stefan Janßen.

The defensive midfielder went through the youth teams of Fortuna Düsseldorf, where he played 23 games for the U17s (two goals) and 26 games for the U19s (three goals, one assist). At 19, Thissen also made his debut for the U23s in the Regionalliga West, where he made a total of five substitute appearances in 2022/23, hampered by a metatarsal fracture.

Last summer, the center back, who celebrates his 21st birthday on Sunday (February 4), decided to join SV Straelen, who were relegated from the Regionalliga. Under coach Sunay Acar, Thissen, who was born in Neuss, was immediately made captain and impressed.

Absolutely set leader in Straelen

Acar put the youngster on the pitch in every game – both in the cup and in the league. With the exception of the second round of the Niederrhein Cup against TuRU Düsseldorf (3-0), where Thissen was substituted at half-time, the 1.77-meter man always played at least 75 minutes.

His performances were convincing. In a newly assembled and young team, Thissen scored two goals and provided two assists in 21 competitive games. With four wins in a row, Straelen went into the winter break in third place.

However, the SVS and its players can’t buy anything with it, as the club withdrew from the game. Thissen is already the tenth Straelener to be introduced to a new club – two more will follow shortly.

Meanwhile, the big profiteer is VfB Homberg, currently 10th in the Oberliga Niederrhein, which can look forward to a promising young player with experience.

Bartu comes from Venlo

And not only that: in addition to Thissen, the club announced the signing of Berkan Can Bartu from the U21 team of Dutch second division club VVV-Venlo on Tuesday. These are the fourth and fifth winter signings for VfB. Luca Happe (SV Sodingen), Ryo Iwata (Sportfreunde Baumberg) and Kingsley Marcinek (TVD Velbert) have already signed.