Among the many Schalke fans in the Volkspark was a current S04 pro in the away block. Goalkeeper Justin Heekeren is the subject of much praise.

Several thousand fans supported the FC Schalke 04 team in the away game against Hamburger SV on Saturday evening. The atmosphere in the away section of the Volksparkstadion was fantastic until well after the final whistle, because the team from Gelsenkirchen fought back from 2-0 down to get a point thanks to a 2-2 draw.

“After that game, all the fans were satisfied,” says goalkeeper Justin Heekeren, summarizing his experience in front of the fan section. ‘The fans saw a reaction, we worked our asses off,’ says the goalkeeper.

On Saturday evening, substitute goalkeeper Luca Podlech was also right in the middle of the supporters. Because the 19-year-old was not in the matchday squad, he followed the game from the fan block. He posted a photo from the guest area on social media. His teammate Justin Heekeren thought it was a great idea. “Podi was born and raised in Gelsenkirchen. He is a Schalke fan through and through, and even has a Schalke tattoo on his thigh.”

Luca Podlech has been playing for Schalke 04 for eight years. The talented goalkeeper went through all the youth teams of the Royal Blues and has fulfilled a big dream by making it into the professional squad. The 19-year-old has been an integral part of the second division team since the summer and has so far appeared in two competitive games for the S04 squad. However, Podlech is still waiting for a competitive game for the Schalke professionals. Behind Heekeren, Thorben Hoffmann and Michael Langer, he is currently the fourth goalkeeper in the squad. Nevertheless, Podlech is already extremely popular with many fans because of his identification with Schalke 04.

Podlech was able to gain some playing experience in the men’s division this season in the regional league. He played nine times in the Schalke U23 team under coach Jakob Fimpel.