Andrej Kramarić in form of his life as he enters second decade at Hoffenheim
Andrej Kramarić scored a superb hat-trick in Hoffenheim's 5-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on Wednesday, just days before he marks ten years at the club. How does the 34-year-old keep on going?
That takes the veteran Hoffenheim sharpshooter's overall tally to 132 Bundesliga goals since joining the club on loan on 20 January 2016.
The then 24-year-old netted five goals in his first 15 appearances for the club, not only helping Hoffenheim stay in the top flight but doing enough to convince the club to sign him on a permanent deal.
A decade later, Kramarić is still going strong, his treble against Gladbach the latest evidence of his enduring talents.
Watch: Kramarić hat-trick in 5-1 win over Gladbach
Kramarić has hit double figures for Bundesliga goals in all but one of his nine full seasons in Germany.
While 2020/21 marked his best output yet with 20 goals (a figure only Robert Lewandowski, André Silva and Erling Haaland could better), the 13-goal haul that helped Hoffenheim finish third in 2017/18 and enter UEFA Champions League qualification under Julian Nagelsmann marked a high point for the team.
Remarkably, both the player and the club's spirits are as high as ever as the ten-year mark approaches. Currently on six Bundesliga goals in 2025/26, Kramarić is firmly on track to reach double figures once again.
The Matchday 17 meeting with Gladbach was also significant for another reason: Kramarić become the Croatian with the most Bundesliga appearances ever at 302 outings, overtaking Zvonimir Soldo.
The club will honour him reaching the 300-landmark ahead of kick-off on Matchday 18 when Hoffenheim host Bayer Leverkusen.
One of Kramarić's goals against Gladbach was a first-half penalty, his 14th successfully converted spot kick in succession in the Bundesliga.
The sheer commitment Kramarić oozes to go with his technical mastery has arguably strengthened over the years, while his playing style has notably evolved to become more of a deep-sitting striker, allowing him to deploy his positional expertise. He even played two matches as a central midfielder at the end of the 2023/24 season.
The goals have continued to flow regardless. A delighted Kramarić said after his latest hat-trick: "I never would have thought I would play here for ten years and create a story like this. I'm realistic. I'm not Ronaldo, Messi or Harry Kane, but I'm very proud of myself."
Watch: Kramarić nets hat-trick against Bayern in 2023/24
That understated tone is suiting Hoffenheim well this season as they defy expectations to mount a serious push for the top four under Christian Ilzer, losing just one of their last ten Bundesliga ties at the season's halfway mark.
"We need to win games as the Champions League is our clear aim," Kramarić said. "I know I won't still be playing here when I'm 50, so I just want to enjoy this time. Enjoying being on the pitch is the dream for every footballer."
However Hoffenheim's Champions League push goes, there might be another occasion for Kramarić to enjoy on the horizon. After scoring six goals and appearing in all ten of Croatia's FIFA World Cup qualifiers, he has every hope of adding to his 112 international caps when Croatia take on Kane's England in their opening World Cup tie on 17 June.
He'll be taking it one goal at a time though, with the next chance to get on the scoresheet being the final appearance of his first decade at Hoffenheim at home to Leverkusen.
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