Vedad Ibisevic has confirmed he will waive a basic salary and donate the bulk of his earnings at new club Schalke to charity.

Ibisevic recently joined Schalke from Bundesliga rivals Hertha Berlin on a one-year deal. The 36-year-old says he will earn an income from bonuses only.

"I'm not here to earn money, but to play in the Bundesliga," Ibisevic told Schalke's website. "So we agreed that I won't get a basic salary, only what I need to cover insurance. My basic salary will be donated to charity. I will only play for bonuses."

"It's an extraordinary tale, and shows how much Vedad wants to play for Schalke," commented the club's sporting director Jochen Schneider.

Watch: Vedad Ibisevic's long road to the top

Ibisevic has a habit of giving back. In 2016, he donated €50,000 to various projects designed to help the integration of refugees in Germany. It is a wider cause that is close to his heart.

Over two decades ago, Ibisevic escaped the brutality of the Bosnian civil war. After fleeing to Switzerland, he was granted asylum in St. Louis, USA, where his career in football took off.

He returned to Europe on the back of a prolific couple of seasons with St. Louis and Chicago - 39 goals in 46 games - playing for Paris Saint-German and Dijon in France, before finding his calling on German soil.

Since scoring six goals for Alemannia Aachen in his debut Bundesliga campaign in 2006/07, the Bosnia-Herzegovina has played for Hoffenheim, VfB Stuttgart and Hertha, producing 127 goals and 52 assists in 340 top-flight games.

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Ibisevic, who will wear the No.11 shirt at Schalke, could make his competitive debut for the Royal Blues in the DFB Cup first round on 13 September.

The 2020/21 campaign represents his 15th in the Bundesliga, and is set to begin with a home game against record champions Bayern Munich.

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