Kennet Eichhorn
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 27 July 2009 | ||
| Place of birth | Bernau bei Berlin, Germany[1] | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Bayer Leverkusen | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2017–2025 | Hertha BSC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025–2026 | Hertha BSC | 17 | (1) |
| 2026– | Bayer Leverkusen | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024 | Germany U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2025– | Germany U17 | 4 | (2) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19:57, 18 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:01, 11 October 2025 (UTC) | |||
Kennet Eichhorn (German pronunciation: [ˈkɛnɛt ˈaɪ̯çhɔʁn]; born 27 July 2009) is a German professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen.
Club career
A youth product of Hertha BSC since he was a U9 in 2017, Eichhorn signed his first professional contract with the club on 4 July 2025.[2] On 10 August 2025, he made his senior and professional debut with Hertha in a goalless 2. Bundesliga tie with Karlsruher SC.[3] At 16 years and 14 days old, he became the youngest ever debutant in the 2. Bundesliga taking the record from Efe-Kaan Sihlaroglu.[4] Later that year, on 2 December, he scored his first goal for the club in a 6–1 win over Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal, at 16 years and 128 days old, becoming the youngest scorer in the competition's history and surpassing Jude Bellingham's previous record, and also the youngest scorer in Hertha's history, breaking Ibrahim Maza's record.[5] On 10 May 2026, Eichhorn scored his first 2. Bundesliga goal in a 2–1 win over Greuther Fürth, becoming the youngest player, aged 16 years and 287 days, to score in the league, surpassing the previous record set by Gunther Reeg in 1985.[6]
On 10 June 2026, Eichhorn signed with Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen until 2031, after the club activated a release clause in his contract with Hertha BSC reportedly worth just under €10 million.[7][8]
International career
Eichhorn is a youth international for Germany, having played up to the Germany U17s.[9]
Playing style
Scouted describes Eichhorn as playing with the steadiness and composure of a much older player. Rather than relying on flair and trickery, he uses his physicality to protect the ball and run into space.[10]
Eichhorn is described as having an elegance and composure on the ball that has already started to draw comparisons to Toni Kroos.[11]
He has previously stated his idols as Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Busquets and Toni Kroos.[12]
Career statistics
- As of match played 17 May 2026
| Club | Season | League | DFB-Pokal | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Hertha BSC | 2025–26[13] | 2. Bundesliga | 17 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 19 | 2 | |
| Career total | 17 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 19 | 2 | |||
References
- 1 2 "| Hertha BSC". www.herthabsc.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ↑ "Hertha BSC nimmt Youngster Eichhorn langfristig unter die Fittiche". TAG24. 4 July 2025.
- ↑ "Historische Einwechslung, keine Tore: Punkteteilung in Berlin". kicker. 10 August 2025.
- ↑ "New record: Kennet Eichhorn becomes youngest 2. Bundesliga player ever". OneFootball. 11 August 2025. Archived from the original on 12 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ↑ "Eichhorn toppt Bellingham und stellt gleich zwei Rekorde auf" (in German). Kicker. 2 December 2025. Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
- ↑ "Hertha Berlin's Kennet Eichhorn becomes youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga 2 history". Bundesliga. 10 May 2026. Archived from the original on 10 June 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "Bayer 04 sign top talent Kennet Eichhorn". Bayer 04 Leverkusen. 10 June 2026. Archived from the original on 20 June 2026. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ Fahey, Ciarán (10 June 2026). "Leverkusen signs talented 16-year-old Kennet Eichhorn from Hertha Berlin". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 11 June 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
- ↑ "Hype um Herthas Kennet Eichhorn: 16-jähriger Debütant lässt Musiala erstmal alt aussehen". 11 August 2025. Archived from the original on 11 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ↑ Curren, Tom (May 2026). "Nuts and Bolts". Scouted. Vol. 2.
- ↑ "Kennet Eichhorn: Who is Bayer Leverkusen's Germany youth international midfielder?". bundesliga.com - the official Bundesliga website. Archived from the original on 25 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ de Ruiter, Lisa (16 November 2025). "Die Top-Klubs wollen ihn! So tickt Hertha-Juwel Kennet Eichhorn" (in German). Sky Sport. Archived from the original on 21 January 2026. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
- ↑ "Spiele von Kennet Eichhorn – 2025/26" [Games played by Kennet Eichhorn – 2025/26]. kicker (in German). Olympia-Verlag. Retrieved 4 February 2026.