Having passed his school leaving exams the day after making his Bundesliga debut for Hertha Berlin in early 2017, Jordan Torunarigha clearly has the brains to go with his undisputed brawn, making it little surprise he is being touted as a future Germany international.
Jordan Torunarigha
Age: 20Club: Hertha BerlinPosition: Centre-backNationality: Germany (one U21 cap)
Key stats
The 6'2" defender signed his first professional contract in December 2016 and was handed his Bundesliga debut in February 2017, coming on as a late substitute in a 1-0 win over Ingolstadt. His first start followed against Borussia Mönchengladbach a few of weeks later and shortly after that he netted his maiden top-flight goal in a 2-0 triumph over Darmstadt. The Chemnitz native made a further 12 outings in the 2017/18 campaign and scored the second goal of his senior career in a 3-1 win over Hannover 96 on Matchday 16.
Plays a bit like
Hertha coach Pal Dardai singled out his young charge for specific praise following an impressive display against Werder Bremen towards the end of the 2016/17 campaign, likening him to Bayern Munich and Germany star Jerome Boateng: "Jordan can become a player like him [Boateng]. His playing style reminds me of him." Left-footed, comfortable on the ball and with the ability to ping accurate long balls forward, the comparison is certainly apt – and one Torunarigha himself is happy to accept. “It’s true that I have actually learned that from Jerome Boateng’s playing style,” he told Bild . “But I still have to improve in many areas.”
Did you know?
By becoming a professional footballer, Torunarigha is treading the same path as his father, Ojokojo, and his older brother, Junior. His dad moved to Germany just as East and West were reuniting and the Nigerian attacker spent several years playing in Bundesliga 2 with Chemnitzer FC during the mid 1990s. He finished his playing career in Leipzig before moving to his current home in Berlin, where his son Junior linked up with Hertha’s academy. A striker, Junior passed through a handful of lower league German clubs but now plays for Fortuna Sittard in the Dutch second tier.
What they're saying
"I've become calmer on the pitch and can keep my emotions better in check. For example, when Davie Selke got elbowed against Frankfurt, I didn't get involved in the melee. I think that was a good decision." - Torunarigha
"Jordan was thrown in at the deep end and has fought his way into the established squad. He's a really competitive type of guy – we can always rely on him in important matches." – Hertha coach Pal Dardai
"He's proved that he's got enormous talent. Now he has to show consistency and concentrate on his job." – Hertha assistant coach Rainer Widmayer