Kennet Eichhorn: Who is Hertha Berlin’s Germany youth international midfielder?
A Hertha Berlin regular at just 16 years of age, Kennet Eichhorn is already being tipped for a career at the very top of the game. We take a closer look at the Germany youth international...
Data correct as of 13 November 2025
Age: 16 (Born 27 July 2009)
Club: Hertha Berlin
Position: Defensive midfielder
Country: Germany (Four U17 caps, two goals)
Key stats
Hertha’s goalless draw with Karlsruhe on 10 August was not a game that will live long in the memory – unless perhaps you are Kennet Eichhorn.
Midway through the second half of the Matchday 2 encounter, and with nearly 60,000 spectators watching on at Berlin’s Olympiastadion, the teenager replaced Leon Jensen to become Bundesliga 2’s youngest-ever debutant – aged just 16 years and 14 days.
Former Borussia Dortmund prodigy Youssoufa Moukoko, who was handed his Bundesliga bow a day after his 16th birthday, is the only player in the history of Germany’s top two divisions to make his debut at a younger age.
Not even Moukouko, though, was able to establish himself in the first team as quickly as Eichhorn, who first joined the club as an Under-9 player in 2017 and signed his first professional contract with the Alte Dame earlier this summer.
A little over a month after his maiden league appearance, the holding midfielder became the youngest player ever to start a Bundesliga 2 match when he was named in Stefan Leitl’s team to face Hannover on Matchday 5.
Orchestrating play with a maturity that defied his tender years, Eichhorn completed 86 percent of his passes, lost possession only once and won 55 percent of his challenges at the Heinz von Heiden Arena before departing in the 89th minute to a rapturous ovation from the visiting fans.
Watch: The best of Kennet Eichhorn
“Sixteen years old, playing in front of 50,000 fans against a top side – for me, he was by far the best player on the pitch,” gushed Hertha boss Leitl after watching his side cruise to a 3-0 win. Little wonder, then, that Eichhorn has since become one of the first names on the 48-year-old’s team sheet.
He has started seven of Hertha’s eight games in all competitions since the victory over Hannover, helping the Berliners climb from second bottom to eighth in the Bundesliga 2 standings, and reach the third round of the DFB Cup.
When asked to provide a fitness update on veteran midfielders Paul Seguin and Diego Demme before a 1-0 win over Fortuna Düsseldorf last month, Leitl calmly replied: “We’re happy they’re available again. The question is, which of them will partner Kennet Eichhorn?”
The teenager is quickly making a name for himself on the international stage too, captaining Germany Under-17s in all four of his appearances to date and scoring twice in the recent 4-0 European Under-17 Championship qualifying victory over Luxembourg.
Had it not been for his club commitments, he would almost certainly have skippered the side at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar this month.
Not that Eichhorn will be too disappointed at missing the tournament. “I’ve been with Hertha since the U9s and have always been happy here,” he said after signing professional terms back in July. “It’s incredibly important to me that my development never stops, in any aspect. That’s why I see Hertha as the best place for me.”
Plays a bit like: Toni Kroos
Given Eichhorn’s elegance and composure on the ball, it should come as no surprise that he has been mentioned in the same breath as Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Germany legend Toni Kroos.
Those comparisons have not gone unnoticed by the 2014 World Cup winner’s brother, former Werder Bremen and Union Berlin midfielder Felix Kroos, who would like to see Eichhorn continue to hone his skills at Hertha in the coming years.
“That’s what got him to where he is now,” Kroos told Watson last month, adding: “The way he plays is remarkable. He radiates calm, he’s gaining valuable experience but is allowed to make mistakes. I hope he continues to develop at Hertha.”
Did you know?
Eichhorn was too young to participate in any of Hertha’s six pre-season friendlies this summer, as Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 players are not permitted to appear in first-team games before turning 16.
What they're saying
“It’s unbelievable what the boy can do. He’s mentally very focused with no airs or graces. I’m sure Hertha are going to have a lot of fun with him.” – veteran Hertha defender Toni Leistner
“You can’t tell [how young he is]. He’s doing really well in terms of his physique and understanding of the game. He’s very eager to learn.” – Hertha coach Leitl during pre-season
“Two or three years ago, he was at a point where a few questions were being asked about his physique, but he worked hard to become more resilient. That shows how ambitious he is.” – Former Hertha youth coach Ante Čović, speaking to kicker magazine
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