Martin Harnik is a German-born Austrian footballer. He currently plays for VfB Stuttgart and the Austrian national football team.
One of his biggest assets is his enormous speed. He quickly escapes from his minders and finds those holes in defence lines where he can cause damage to the opponent. Because of his dynamic and his striker-based nose for the goal, Harnik is a constant threat for defenders.
Harnik started playing football in 1992 at SC Vier- und Marschlande. In early 2006, he joined the second team of Werder Bremen, playing in the third tier Regionalliga. On 15 August 2007, the 20-year-old made his debut for the professional team against Dinamo Zagreb. His Bundesliga debut came ten days later, in a game against FC Nuremberg. On 24 August 2009, it was announced that Harnik was able to leave his club SV Werder Bremen as a free agent, and six days later was loaned out to Fortuna Dusseldorf. In July 2010, he moved to VfB Stuttgart. In the 2011–12 season, Harnik was Stuttgart's top scorer with 17 goals and eight assists. On 6 January 2012, he extended his contract with VfB Stuttgart until June 2016. Harnik, who also was eligible for Germany, opted to play for Austria. His debut came in a match against the Czech Republic. He was called up to Austria's squad for the Euro 2008. On 2 September 2011, Harnik scored against Germany in a 6–2 loss at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen. The win meant that Harnik's nation of birth secured qualification to Euro 2012. |
