Tim Kleindienst continues to go from strength to strength, both at club and international level. With his eyes on the Bundesliga Golden Boot and in contention to lead the line for Germany at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bundesliga.com discusses whether the Borussia Mönchengladbach star is the best centre-forward in the country…
One of the most alluring things about football is the number of routes that can be taken to the top of the game. While the current Germany squad contains the kind of sheer talent that always appeared destined for greatness in the likes of Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, it has also seen another player take the road less travelled to the elite in Kleindienst.
Kleindienst may translate from German as ‘small service’, but there is certainly nothing diminutive about the 6’4” centre-forward or his output. Nine goals and four assists in his first 15 appearances since joining Gladbach in the summer has marked a fine start to the latest chapter in a long career, with only Harry Kane, Omar Marmoush and Florian Wirtz boasting more goal involvements in the Bundesliga this season.
The international stage is a logical next step for a player who has built his way up to the limelight by succeeding at every level beneath that, despite having to overcome setbacks along the way. And when he was given his chance by Julian Nagelsmann for the Germany games in October and November, he grabbed it with both hands, netting twice against Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 7-0 victory – his first Germany goals.
The season is still far from our and looking up the Flashscore player stats on Tim Kleindienst and his season so far, he scored his last goal so far in the 4-1 home win vs. Holsten Kiel. A good rating, being given 7 points for his performance.
Platz 3 und "internationale Klasse" im kicker-Winter-Ranking für Tim #Kleindienst. Überragend, Junge! 🔥#dieFohlen pic.twitter.com/FGM0rQBr8R
— Borussia (@borussia) January 7, 2025
Borussia Monchengladbach are at this point 8 in the Bundesliga, they are out of the cup and not competing in Europe, so it will two major jobs for Tim Kleindienst to follow up on, Gladbach in the Bundesliga and the German national team.
The 29 year old has as so many others taken a route to the top, being in the frame of international recognition early on representing Germany at u.20 level, as far back as 2016, at the time representing Energie Cottbuss, scoring goals and helping out on a lower level.
Kleindienst made the move to Freiburg in 2015, but struggled to establish himself as certain first teamer and found it easier to make a move to Belgium and Gent and from here later being part of a special run at Heidenheim, scoring 47 goals in 95 league games for the minor reaching Bundesliga last term.
On 21 June 2024, Kleindienst joined Borussia Mönchengladbach by signing a contract until 2028. On 3 October 2024, he was called up to the senior national team for the first time. Eight days later, he made his senior debut by starting in a 2–1 away victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the UEFA Nations League. A month later, on 16 November, he scored his first international goals by netting a brace in a 7–0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the same competition.
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