Derry Scherhant: Who is the Freiburg winger on the brink of a Germany debut?
From lower league football in Berlin to European finals with Freiburg, Derry Scherhant has taken an unconventional route to the top. Now the direct, skilful winger could add a senior Germany debut to his story after catching Jürgen Klopp’s eye.
Data correct as of 28 September 2026.
Age: 23 (born 10 November 2002)
Club: Freiburg
Position: Winger/forward
Country: Germany (uncapped at senior level, two U21 caps)
Key stats
Scherhant came of age in Berlin’s football scene, playing for Viktoria Berlin, Tennis Borussia and Berliner SC before joining Hertha's academy shortly before his 18th birthday. He soon made up for lost time, contributing 16 goals and eight assists in his first season with the reserves, which earned him a professional contract in June 2022. A full Bundesliga debut against Eintracht Frankfurt would follow that August.
Watch: Super Scherhant!
After Hertha’s relegation in 2023, the attacker developed into a regular in Bundesliga 2. He featured in all 34 league games in 2024/25, scoring seven times, before Freiburg brought him back to the top flight in summer 2025. He left the German capital with 78 competitive first-team appearances and 12 goals to his name.
His first campaign in the Black Forest brought five goals in 31 Bundesliga outings, as well as 12 Europa League appearances during Freiburg’s run to the final. Scherhant has since started 2026/27 with one goal and three assists in four league matches, helping Julian Schuster's side collect 10 points from a possible 12.
The attacker's most recent outing offered a timely demonstration of his talents. Two days after his first Germany call-up, Scherhant scored and supplied Yuito Suzuki's equaliser in Freiburg’s 2-2 draw at Frankfurt in mid-september. He'd also scoop the Man of the Match award against Die Adler to cap off a memorable month.
Having previously represented Germany at Under-20 and Under-21 level, the youngster was called up to Klopp’s squad for the UEFA Nations League fixtures against Serbia and Greece in early October.
Plays a bit like: Karim Adeyemi
Pace, direct running and a determination to take on defenders give Scherhant shades of former Borussia Dortmund attacker Adeyemi. The Freiburg winger relishes one-on-one situations, using changes of speed and quick footwork to create room for a shot or delivery.
Comfortable out wide or through the middle, Scherhant also brings a striker’s instincts to his wing play in the final third. He is especially lethal on the counter-attack, relying on his clever movement to make perfectly timed runs in behind a defensive line.
Watch: Adeyemi's top 5 Dortmund goals
Did you know?
Marcus Rashford, Memphis Depay and Samuel Eto’o rank among Scherhant’s footballing role models, but his admiration extends beyond watching their highlights. During his Hertha days, he read Depay’s autobiography in English, looking up unfamiliar words and making notes as he went, which goes to show his willingness to work prevails off the pitch as well.
Unlike the Dutchman, however, Scherhant’s own journey to the top was far from conventional. He spent most of his youth playing for local Berlin clubs, only joining Hertha's academy at the age of 17.
“Derry is physically strong, possesses good pace and knows where the goal is. He also demonstrates a positive attitude on the field. His somewhat unprecedented path to professional football has seen him develop a beneficially invigorated and care-free style of play.” - Freiburg sporting director Klemens Hartenbach, May 2025
“He has pace, makes good runs in behind and is willing to work off the ball.” - Former Hertha head coach Sandro Schwarz on Scherhant.
"For as long as I've been playing football, I've relied on my pace, my dribbling, my feints – and also my finishing. My time in U19 and U23 teams was crucial in that regard, when I played as a striker and less on the wing. This has made me quite versatile overall." - Scherhant on his style of play
