Kevin Behrens
{{short description|German footballer}}
{{use British English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Kevin Behrens
| image = Kevin Behrens 2023.jpg
| caption = Behrens with Union Berlin in 2023
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1991|2|3}}
| birth_place = Bremen, Germany
| height = 1.84 m
| position = Forward
| currentclub = VfL Wolfsburg
| clubnumber = 17
| youthyears1 = 1995–2004
| youthclubs1 = ATS Buntentor
| youthyears2 = 2004–2008
| youthclubs2 = SC Weyhe
| youthyears3 = 2008–2010
| youthclubs3 = Werder Bremen
| years1 = 2010–2011
| clubs1 = Werder Bremen III
| caps1 = 24
| goals1 = 10
| years2 = 2011–2012
| clubs2 = SV Wilhelmshaven
| caps2 = 26
| goals2 = 10
| years3 = 2012–2014
| clubs3 = Hannover 96 II
| caps3 = 40
| goals3 = 17
| years4 = 2014–2015
| clubs4 = Alemannia Aachen
| caps4 = 28
| goals4 = 8
| years5 = 2015–2016
| clubs5 = Rot-Weiss Essen
| caps5 = 8
| goals5 = 3
| years6 = 2016–2018
| clubs6 = 1. FC Saarbrücken
| caps6 = 78
| goals6 = 35
| years7 = 2018–2021
| clubs7 = SV Sandhausen
| caps7 = 94
| goals7 = 31
| years8 = 2021–2024
| clubs8 = Union Berlin
| caps8 = 75
| goals8 = 14
| years9 = 2024–
| clubs9 = VfL Wolfsburg
| caps9 = 31
| goals9 = 2
| nationalyears1 = 2023
| nationalteam1 = Germany
| nationalcaps1 = 1
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| club-update = 17 May 2025
| nationalteam-update = 17 October 2023
}}
Kevin Behrens (born 3 February 1991) is a German professional footballer who plays as a forward for {{German football updater|Wolfsbur}} club VfL Wolfsburg. He has also represented the Germany national team.{{WorldFootball.net|kevin-behrens}}
Club career
Behrens spent most of his career in Regionalliga, playing for Werder Bremen III, SV Wilhelmshaven, Hannover 96 II, Alemannia Aachen, Rot-Weiss Essen, 1. FC Saarbrücken and SV Sandhausen.{{cite web |last=Bate |first=Adam |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12957436/kevin-behrens-is-union-berlins-cycling-striker-real-madrid-awaits-for-former-regional-league-forward-and-cult-hero |title=Kevin Behrens is Union Berlin's cycling striker: Real Madrid awaits for former regional league forward and cult hero |website=Sky Sports |date=8 September 2023 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.rbb24.de/sport/beitrag/2023/09/fussball-bundesliga-union-nationalteam-kevin-behrens.html |title=Nagelsmann nominiert Unioner Kevin Behrens erstmals für DFB-Auswahl |website=rbb24.de |language=de |date=6 October 2023 }} With Saarbrücken, he won both the 2016–17 Saarland Cup and 2017–18 Regionalliga Südwest.{{cite web |url=https://www.sportschau.de/regional/sr/sr-ex-fcs-stuermer-kevin-behrens-jetzt-nationalspieler-100.html |title=Ex-FCS-Stürmer Kevin Behrens jetzt Nationalspieler |publisher=Sportschau |language=de |date=6 October 2023 }}
Behrens transferred to East Berlin-based Bundesliga club Union Berlin during the 2021 summer transfer window.{{cite web |url=https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/de/union-live/news/profis/Kevin-Behrens-wird-Unioner-20374I/ |title=Kevin Behrens wird Unioner |publisher=1. FC Union Berlin |language=de |date=1 July 2021 }} On 16 September 2021, he scored his first goal in European competitions in a 3–1 defeat against Slavia Prague in the 2021–22 Conference League.{{cite web |url=https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/en/football/firstteam/fixtures/detail/Slavia-Prague-1-FC-Union-Berlin--15895f/ |title=Late goals defeat resilient Union in Prague |publisher=1. FC Union Berlin |date=16 September 2021 |access-date=7 October 2023 |archive-date=28 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028181659/https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/en/football/firstteam/fixtures/detail/Slavia-Prague-1-FC-Union-Berlin--15895f/ |url-status=dead }} On the first matchday of the 2023–24 Bundesliga season, Behrens scored his first Bundesliga hat-trick, all being headers, on 20 August 2023 at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei against 1. FSV Mainz 05 in a 4–1 home victory.{{cite web |url=https://www.sport1.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/2023/08/behrens-dreierpack-stellt-debut-von-gosens-und-volland-bei-union-berlin-in-den-schatten |title=Behrens-Gala bei Gosens-Debüt |website=sport1.de |language=de |date=20 August 2023 }} On 20 September 2023, he made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 1–0 defeat against Real Madrid.{{cite web |url=https://www.sportschau.de/fussball/championsleague/real-madrid-union-berlin-spielbericht-100.html |title=Union verpasst Sensationspunkt bei Real Madrid |publisher=Sportschau |language=de |date=21 September 2023 }}
On 31 January 2024, Behrens moved to VfL Wolfsburg.{{cite web|publisher=VfL Wolfsburg|url=https://www.vfl-wolfsburg.de/newsdetails/news-detail/detail/news/behrens-wird-ein-wolf|title=BEHRENS WIRD EIN WOLF|trans-title=BEHRENS BECOMES A WOLF|date=31 January 2024|access-date=31 January 2024|language=de}} In October that year, Wolfsburg disciplined Behrens for making a homophobic comment during an autograph session, refusing to sign a rainbow-themed shirt. He later apologised, and the club reaffirmed its commitment to diversity and tolerance.{{cite web |last=Davis |first=Callum |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5831728/2024/10/09/wolfsburg-suspend-striker-kevin-behrens-homophobic/ |title=Wolfsburg discipline striker Kevin Behrens over homophobic comments |work=The New York Times |date=9 October 2024 }}
International career
In October 2023, Behrens received his first call-up to the German senior national team for two friendly matches against the United States and Mexico.{{Cite web|title=USA-Reise: Nagelsmann beruft drei Neue und vier Rückkehrer|url=https://www.dfb.de/maenner-nationalmannschaft/news-detail/usa-reise-nagelsmann-beruft-drei-neue-und-vier-rueckkehrer-255524/|publisher=German Football Association|date=6 October 2023|language=de}} He debuted against the latter on 17 October, coming on as a substitute at the 87th minute for Jamal Musiala in a match which ended in a 2–2 draw.{{Cite news|title=Kevin Behrens feiert Debüt in der Nationalmannschaft|trans-title=Kevin Behrens celebrates his debut in the national team|url=https://www.rbb24.de/sport/beitrag/2023/10/fussball-nationalmannschaft-union-berlin-kevin-behrens-debuet-mexiko.html|publisher=Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg|date=18 October 2023|access-date=8 June 2024|language=de}}
Personal life
His sister Kim van de Velde ({{née|Behrens}}) is a volleyball and beach volleyball player,{{cite web |url=https://www.sportschau.de/regional/rb/rb-so-erlebte-union-matchwinner-kevin-behrens-seine-rueckkehr-nach-bremen-100.html |title=So erlebte Union-Matchwinner Kevin Behrens seine Rückkehr nach Bremen |publisher=Sportschau |language=de |date=26 January 2023 }} who is married to Steven van de Velde.{{cite web |last1=Hofmann |first1=Tina |title=Aufruhr vor den Olympischen Spielen: Verurteilter Vergewaltiger fährt nach Paris |url=https://www.tag24.de/sport/olympia/olympische-sommerspiele/aufruhr-vor-den-olympischen-spielen-verurteilter-vergewaltiger-faehrt-nach-paris-3228555 |website=TAG24 |access-date=27 June 2024 |language=de |date=26 June 2024}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 17 May 2025}}{{Soccerway|rogerio-oliveira-da-silva/425515|accessdate=21 November 2017}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Werder Bremen III
|2010–11 |Bremenliga |24 | 10 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 24 | 10 | ||||
| Wilhemshaven
|26 | 10 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 26 | 10 | ||||
| rowspan="3"|Hannover 96 II
|26 | 9 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 26 | 9 | ||||
| 2013–14
|Regionalliga Nord |14 | 9 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 14 | 9 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!40||18||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||40||18 | ||||||||||
| Alemannia Aachen
|28 | 8 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 31 | 8 | |||
| Rot-Weiss Essen
|Regionalliga West |8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 9 | 3 | |||
| rowspan="4"|Saarbrücken
|2015–16 |13 | 5 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 13 | 5 | ||||
| 2016–17
|Regionalliga Südwest |30 | 11 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 30 | 11 | ||||
| 2017–18
|Regionalliga Südwest |35 | 19 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|Appearance(s) in Promotion playoffs}} | 0 | 37 | 19 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!78||35||1||0||colspan="2"|—||1||0||80||35 | ||||||||||
| rowspan="4"|SV Sandhausen
|30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 32 | 4 | |||
| 2019–20
|2. Bundesliga |32 | 14 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 33 | 14 | |||
| 2020–21
|2. Bundesliga |32 | 13 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 33 | 13 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!94||31||4||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||98||31 | ||||||||||
| rowspan="4"|Union Berlin
|24 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6{{efn|Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa Conference League}} | 2 | colspan="2"|— | 34 | 6 | ||
| 2022–23
|Bundesliga |33 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 9{{efn|Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 46 | 10 | ||
| 2023–24
|Bundesliga |18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5{{efn|Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League}} | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 25 | 4 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!75||14||10||4||20||2||0||0||105||20 | ||||||||||
| rowspan="3"|Wolfsburg
|Bundesliga |13 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 13 | 1 | ||||
| 2024–25
|Bundesliga |18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 19 | 1 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!31||2||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||32||2 | ||||||||||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!405||131||20||4||20||2||1||0||446||137 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
{{updated|match played 17 October 2023}}{{Cite web |title=Kevin Behrens |url=https://datencenter.dfb.de/profil/258961|access-date=17 October 2023|website=dfb.de |language=de}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="2"|Germany | |||
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total | 1 | 0 |
Honours
1. FC Saarbrücken
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{DFB}}
- {{kicker}}
{{VfL Wolfsburg squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Behrens, Kevin}}
Category:Footballers from Bremen (city)
Category:German men's footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:SV Wilhelmshaven players
Category:Hannover 96 II players
Category:Alemannia Aachen players
Category:Rot-Weiss Essen players
Category:1. FC Saarbrücken players
Category:SV Sandhausen players
Category:1. FC Union Berlin players
Category:VfL Wolfsburg players
Category:2. Bundesliga players