Among the many Schalke fans in the Volkspark, there was also a current S04 pro in the guest block. There is a lot of praise for goalkeeper Justin Heekeren.

Several thousand fans supported FC Schalke 04 on Saturday evening in their away game against Hamburger SV. The atmosphere in the visitors’ section of the Volksparkstadion remained jubilant long after the final whistle, as the Gelsenkirchen team fought back from a 0:2 deficit to earn a point with a 2:2 draw.

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

Substitute goalkeeper Luca Podlech was also right in the middle of the fans on Saturday evening. Because the 19-year-old was not in the matchday squad, he watched the game from the fan block. He posted a photo from the visitors’ section on social media. His teammate Justin Heekeren loved the gesture. “Podi was born and raised in Gelsenkirchen. He’s a Schalke fan through and through, he even has a Schalke tattoo on his thigh.”

Luca Podlech has been playing for Schalke 04 for eight years. The talented goalkeeper came up through all the youth teams of the Royal Blues and has fulfilled a big dream by making the jump to the professional squad. The 19-year-old has been a regular member of the second division team since the summer and has played in two competitive games for S04 so far. However, Podlech is still waiting for his competitive debut for the Schalke pros. Behind Heekeren, Thorben Hoffmann, and Michael Langer, he is currently the fourth-choice goalkeeper in the squad. Nevertheless, due to his identification with Schalke 04, Podlech is already extremely popular with many fans.

According to the club website, he has been able to gain some playing experience in the men’s team in the Regionalliga this season. He has made nine appearances for Schalke’s U23 team, coached by Jakob Fimpel.