Daniel Hägele

Daniel Hägele has worn the captain's armband at Würzburger Kickers since Sebastian Schuppan's retirement, and the numbers back up the responsibility: he is the club's all-time appearance record holder, with 194 official outings to his name. He arrived at the Kickers on a free transfer in the summer of 2018, continuing a career in which every move he has made has come without a transfer fee.

The captaincy was not new to him. He first wore it at SG Sonnenhof Großaspach, where he joined in 2011 and led the side to the Regionalliga Südwest title in 2013–14, a championship that took the club up into the 3. Liga. That grounding paid off at Würzburg: in 2019–20 he helped the Kickers finish as runners-up in the 3. Liga, sealing promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, and a year earlier he had already won the Bavarian Cup with the club.

FC Normannia Gmünd and TV Heuchlingen before a move into SSV Ulm 1846's U19 side in 2007. His senior career began the same year at VfR Aalen, where he made six 3. Liga appearances, before a spell back at Ulm preceded the switch to Großaspach that shaped the rest of his career.

He has never been capped by Germany at senior or youth level, and his football has been built instead on longevity and consistency at club level rather than international recognition.