Niklas Hoffmann

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Niklas Hoffmann

| fullname =

| image =

| caption =

| height = 1.94 m{{cite web |url=https://www.fcstpauli.com/teams/u23-team/niklas-hoffmann/ |title=Niklas Hoffmann |website=FC St. Pauli |access-date=29 July 2019 |language=German |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729200248/https://www.fcstpauli.com/teams/u23-team/niklas-hoffmann/ |archive-date=29 July 2019}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1997|4|9}}

| birth_place = Landau, Germany

| position = Centre-back, defensive midfielder

| currentclub = Waldhof Mannheim

| clubnumber = 6

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2007

| youthclubs1 = TSV Fortuna Billigheim-Ingenheim

| youthyears2 = 2007–2016

| youthclubs2 = Karlsruher SC

| years1 = 2015–2017

| clubs1 = Karlsruher SC II

| caps1 = 23

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2016–2017

| clubs2 = Karlsruher SC

| caps2 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2017–2019

| clubs3 = SC Freiburg II

| caps3 = 25

| goals3 = 2

| years4 = 2019–2020

| clubs4 = FC St. Pauli II

| caps4 = 16

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2019–2020

| clubs5 = FC St. Pauli

| caps5 = 5

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2020–2022

| clubs6 = Würzburger Kickers

| caps6 = 43

| goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2022–2024

| clubs7 = SV Horn

| caps7 = 44

| goals7 = 4

| years8 = 2024–

| clubs8 = Waldhof Mannheim

| caps8 = 14

| goals8 = 1

| club-update = 24 May 2025

}}

Niklas Hoffmann (born 9 April 1997) is a German professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for {{German football updater|Mannheim}} club Waldhof Mannheim.{{WorldFootball.net|niklas-hoffmann_2}}

Career

Born in Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hoffmann began playing football at TSV Fortuna Billigheim-Ingenheim in Südliche Weinstraße.{{cite news |last1=Putzing |first1=Peter |title=KSC-Interview mit Hoffmann: "Es wird alles andere als einfach, aber ich versuche alles" |url=https://www.ka-news.de/ksc/interviews/Karlsruhe~/KSC-Interview-mit-Hoffmann-Es-wird-alles-andere-als-einfach-aber-ich-versuche-alles;art516935,1897879 |accessdate=18 November 2020 |work=ka-news.de |date=8 June 2016 |language=German}} At age 10, he joined the youth academy of Karlsruher SC after impressing at a youth tournament.

Hoffmann played with the youth teams of Karlsruhe in the Under 17 and Under 19 Bundesliga, as he led the U19s as team captain during his final season in that age group. During this time, he had already been selected for the first-team squad five times and once for the second team. In June 2016, he signed a three-year professional contract.

Failing to break through to the first team, Hoffmann moved to SC Freiburg in the summer of 2017, where he competed in the second team in the Regionalliga Südwest.{{cite news |last1=Kaufhold |first1=Matthias |title=Zwei Neuzugänge für die zweite Mannschaft des SC Freiburg |url=https://www.badische-zeitung.de/zwei-neuzugaenge-fuer-die-zweite-mannschaft-des-sc-freiburg--138469737.html |accessdate=18 November 2020 |work=Badische Zeitung |date=25 June 2017 |language=German}} Hoffmann ended the 2017–18 season in fourth place in the league with Freiburg II.

In the winter break of the following season, Hoffmann was signed by FC St. Pauli. As part of their second team, he successfully avoided relegation from the Regionalliga Nord.{{cite news |last1=Kormanjos |first1=Dennis |title="Kiezkickerchen" mit acht Neuzugängen gestartet |url=https://www.fussifreunde.de/artikel/kiezkickerchen-mit-acht-neuzugaengen-gestartet/ |accessdate=18 November 2020 |work=Fussifreunde |date=27 June 2019 |language=German}} After the defender was able to make his debut for the first team in a first round win in the DFB-Pokal over VfB Lübeck in June 2019, head coach Jos Luhukay utilised him increasingly in the 2. Bundesliga due to injuries to regular starters.

After five 2. Bundesliga and 15 Regionalliga appearances for the Kiezkicker, Hoffmann moved to 3. Liga side Würzburger Kickers in late January 2020. There, he received a contract valid until 30 June 2021, with an option for an additional year.{{cite news |title=Der FC Würzburger Kickers verpflichtet Defensivspezialist Niklas Hoffmann vom FC St. Pauli |url=https://www.wuerzburger-kickers.de/de/news/profis/2020-01-28-der-fc-wuerzburger-kickers-verpflichtet-defensivspezialist-niklas-hoffmann-vom-fc-st-pauli |accessdate=18 November 2020 |work=Würzburger Kickers |date=28 January 2020 |language=German}}

Following Würzburger Kickers' relegation to the Regionalliga Bayern in the 2022–23 season, Hoffmann joined Austrian Second League club SV Horn on 2 July 2022.{{cite web |title=Herzlich Willkommen SEBASTIAN BAUER und NIKLAS HOFFMANN beim SV HORN! Mit {{!}} SV HORN |url=https://www.svhorn.at/verein/news/herzlich-willkommen-sebastian-bauer-und-niklas-hoffmann-beim-sv-horn-mit |website=SV Horn |access-date=5 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702102951/https://www.svhorn.at/verein/news/herzlich-willkommen-sebastian-bauer-und-niklas-hoffmann-beim-sv-horn-mit |archive-date=2 July 2022 |language=de-AT |date=2 July 2022 |url-status=live}}

On 22 May 2024, Hoffmann agreed to return to Germany and join Waldhof Mannheim in 3. Liga.{{cite web|publisher=SV Waldhof Mannheim|url=https://svw07.de/innenverteidiger-niklas-hoffmann-verstaerkt-den-svw/|title=INNENVERTEIDIGER NIKLAS HOFFMANN VERSTÄRKT DEN SVW|trans-title=CENTRE-BACK NIKLAS HOFFMANN STRENGTHENS SVW|date=22 May 2024|access-date=5 July 2024|language=de}}