Emre Can facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Emre Can

Can playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Emre Can
Date of birth	(1994-01-12) 12 January 1994 (age 31)
Place of birth	Frankfurt, Germany
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Central midfielder, Defensive midfielder, Centre-back, Full-back
Team information
Current team	Borussia Dortmund
Number	23
Youth career
2000–2006	SV Blau-Gelb Frankfurt
2006–2009	Eintracht Frankfurt
2009–2011	Bayern Munich
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2013	Bayern Munich II	31	(3)
2012–2013	Bayern Munich	4	(1)
2013–2014	Bayer Leverkusen	29	(3)
2014–2018	Liverpool	115	(10)
2018–2020	Juventus	37	(4)
2020	→ Borussia Dortmund (loan)	12	(2)
2020–	Borussia Dortmund	135	(13)
International career‡
2009	Germany U15	1	(0)
2009–2010	Germany U16	8	(2)
2010–2011	Germany U17	23	(3)
2012–2013	Germany U19	5	(0)
2013–2015	Germany U21	13	(1)
2015–	Germany	48	(2)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Germany FIFA Confederations Cup Winner 2017 Russia FIFA U-17 World Cup Third 2011 Mexico UEFA European Under-17 Championship Runner-up 2011 Serbia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:30, 17 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:53, 10 September 2024 (UTC)

Emre Can (born on January 12, 1994) is a German professional footballer. He plays for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, where he is the team captain. He also plays for the Germany national team. Emre is a very flexible player. He usually plays as a central midfielder, but he can also play as a defensive midfielder, centre-back, or full-back.

He started his senior career at Bayern Munich. He mostly played for their reserve team before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in 2013. A year later, Premier League club Liverpool signed him. He played over 150 games for Liverpool. In 2018, he joined Juventus. In 2020, he moved to Borussia Dortmund, first on loan, then permanently.

Emre played for Germany's youth teams from Under-15 to Under-21. He played in the 2015 U21 European Championship. He made his debut for the senior German team in September 2015. He was part of the team that won the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. He scored his first goal for the senior national team during that tournament.

Club Football Journey

Starting Out in Football

Emre Can was born in 1994 in Frankfurt, Germany. He joined his first local team, SV Blau-Gelb Frankfurt, when he was six. He stayed there until 2006. Then, he joined the youth academy of Eintracht Frankfurt. At both Frankfurt clubs, he mainly played in midfield, often in an attacking role. In 2009, at age 15, he moved to Bavaria. He was signed by Bayern Munich.

Playing for Bayern Munich

During his first year at Bayern's academy, Emre played as a centre-back. He later moved back to midfield when he started playing for Bayern Munich II. This was their reserve team in the Regionalliga Bayern. He played his first game for the main Bayern team in the 2012 DFL-Supercup. He made his Bundesliga debut on April 13, 2013, against 1. FC Nürnberg. His only league goal for Bayern came on April 27, 2013, in a 1–0 win against SC Freiburg. He competed with other strong midfielders for a spot. He played only seven senior games before joining Bayer Leverkusen in 2013. He wanted to play more regularly.

Time at Bayer Leverkusen

On August 2, 2013, Emre Can signed a four-year deal with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Bayern had an option to buy him back in 2015, but they chose not to.

Emre played his first game for Leverkusen on August 31, 2013. He came on as a substitute in a 2–0 loss to FC Schalke 04. He scored his first goal for the club on October 26. It was the winning goal in a 2–1 victory against FC Augsburg. He also made his UEFA Champions League debut that month. It was against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Leverkusen lost that game 4–2.

In his only season at Leverkusen, Emre scored four goals and made four assists. He played in 39 games, mostly in a defensive role. His strong performances caught the eye of English club Liverpool.

Joining Liverpool

On June 5, 2014, Bayer Leverkusen confirmed that Emre would join Liverpool. Liverpool paid £9.75 million for him. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers called Emre an "inspirational young talent." The transfer was completed on July 3, 2014.

Can training with Liverpool in 2014

2014–15 Season at Liverpool

Emre played his first official game for Liverpool on August 25, 2014. He came on as a substitute in a 3–1 loss to Manchester City. The next month, he got an ankle injury while playing for Germany's Under-21 team. He was out for six weeks. On October 19, after recovering, Emre started his first game for Liverpool. They won 3–2 against Queens Park Rangers. He scored his first Liverpool goal on November 8. It was a long-range shot against Chelsea, but Liverpool lost 2–1.

In a League Cup semi-final against Chelsea on January 27, 2015, Chelsea player Diego Costa stepped on Emre. The referee did not give a penalty, but Costa was later banned for three games. In April, Emre received his first red card for Liverpool. This happened in a 4–1 loss to Arsenal. Even though he is a midfielder, Emre often played in defence during his first season. He played 40 games in total that season.

2015–16 Season at Liverpool

On October 22, 2015, Emre scored his first goal of the 2015–16 season. It was in a UEFA Europa League match against Rubin Kazan. This was the first goal for the club under their new manager, Jürgen Klopp. On February 14, 2016, he scored his first league goal of the season. It was in a big 6–0 win over Aston Villa. Under the previous manager, Emre often played as a defender. But with Klopp, he moved back to his favorite position, central midfielder. Klopp praised his improvement, and Emre became a key player in Liverpool's midfield.

On April 14, 2016, Emre tore his ankle ligaments in a Europa League game against Borussia Dortmund. It was thought he would miss the rest of the season. However, he recovered faster than expected. He played in the second leg of the semi-final against Villarreal. Emre later said he trained 8 hours a day for 3 weeks to be ready for that game.

2016–17 Season at Liverpool

On October 29, 2016, Emre scored his first goal of the season. It was the first goal in Liverpool's 4–2 win over Crystal Palace. On November 6, Emre scored Liverpool's third goal in their 6–1 win over Watford. This win put Liverpool in 1st place in the Premier League for the first time under Jürgen Klopp. On December 4, Emre scored in Liverpool's 4–3 loss to Bournemouth. On March 12, 2017, Emre scored the winning goal in Liverpool's 2–1 win over Burnley. Klopp called it an "ugly win."

On May 1, 2017, Emre scored an amazing overhead kick in a 1–0 win over Watford. This goal later won him the BBC Goal of the Season and Carling Goal of the Season awards.

2017–18 Season at Liverpool

Can (right) defending Andrey Yeshchenko in a match against Spartak Moscow, 2017

On August 23, 2017, Emre scored two goals against Hoffenheim. This was in the Champions League play-off round. Liverpool won that game 4–2, and 6–3 overall. These were his first goals of the new season. Emre was praised for his performance in Liverpool's 4–0 win over Arsenal on August 27. On November 1, Emre scored in Liverpool's 3–0 win over Slovenian team Maribor. His first league goal of the season came in a 5–1 away win over Brighton & Hove Albion. In that game, he played as a centre-back.

On January 30, 2018, Emre scored the first goal in Liverpool's 3–0 win over Huddersfield Town. On February 24, he scored the opening goal in Liverpool's 4–1 win over West Ham United. On March 17, during a game against Watford, Emre got a back muscle injury. It was thought he might miss the rest of the season. However, Emre recovered in time for the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final against Real Madrid. He was a substitute in that game, coming on in the 83rd minute. Liverpool lost the match 3–1.

On June 8, 2018, Liverpool announced that Emre would leave the club. His contract ended on July 1, 2018.

Moving to Juventus

2018–19 Season at Juventus

On June 21, 2018, Emre Can signed a four-year deal with Serie A team Juventus. He joined them after his contract with Liverpool ended. Juventus paid an extra €16 million in costs for him. Emre became the tenth German player to join Juventus. His contract also included a €50 million release clause. This clause was only for clubs outside Italy and started in his third year. This was the first time Juventus had added such a clause to a player's contract. He played his first Serie A game on August 18. He came on as a substitute in a 3–2 away win against Chievo Verona. On January 21, 2019, Emre scored his first goal for Juventus. It was in a 3–0 home win against the same team.

2019–20 Season at Juventus

At the start of the 2019–20 season, Juventus's new manager Maurizio Sarri did not include Emre Can in the club's Champions League squad for the group stage.

Playing for Borussia Dortmund

On January 31, 2020, Borussia Dortmund announced they had signed Emre Can on loan. The loan was until the end of the 2019–20 season, with a plan to buy him permanently. On February 8, Emre played his first game for Dortmund. He also scored a goal in a 4–3 away loss to Bayer Leverkusen. On February 18, 2020, the deal became permanent for €25 million. The loan still ended at the close of the 2019–20 season.

During the 2020–21 Champions League quarter-finals against Manchester City, his pass was taken in midfield. This led to the first goal in a 2–1 loss in the first game. In the second game, he was penalized for a handball in another 2–1 loss. In July 2023, he extended his contract until 2026. He also became the team captain, taking over from Marco Reus. In his first season as captain, he reached the Champions League final. Dortmund lost 2–0 to Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium.

International Football Career

Emre Can has Turkish ancestry. This meant he could have played for the Turkey national football team. However, he said he "likes playing for Germany very much" and wanted to play for the DFB.

Youth National Teams

Emre was called up to Germany's Under-15, Under-16, and Under-17 youth football teams. In 2011, he was part of the Under-17 team that finished second at the European Championships. He was also named in the team of the tournament. Later that year, he was captain of the squad in the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He led his team to the semi-finals. In the semi-final, he scored an amazing solo goal against Mexico. He got the ball with three defenders near him, dribbled past one, and then two more. He even got past the goalkeeper, but Germany lost 3–2.

He played for the under-21 team at the 2015 European Championship. He started all four matches. In their first game on June 17, Emre scored a goal from outside the penalty area. It was an equalizer in a 1–1 draw against Serbia. In their second group game on June 20, Emre made a great pass to help Kevin Volland score. He also won a free-kick that led to another goal. Germany won that game 3–0. Germany was knocked out in the semi-finals. They lost 5–0 to Portugal on June 27.

Senior National Team

Can with Germany during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup

On August 28, 2015, Emre Can was called up to the Germany senior team for the first time. This was by manager Joachim Löw. It was for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches against Poland and Scotland. He made his debut on September 4. He played the full 90 minutes in a 3–1 win against Poland.

Emre was chosen for Germany's team for UEFA Euro 2016. He played only once in the tournament. This was in the 2–0 semi-final loss to France. He started that game because Sami Khedira was injured.

Emre was also part of Germany's team for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He played in all five of his team's matches. Germany won the tournament, beating Chile in the final.

He scored his first goal for the senior national team on October 8, 2017. It was in a 5–1 home win against Azerbaijan. This was a 2018 World Cup qualifier.

He was not chosen for Germany's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Emre was selected for the German squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He came on as a substitute three times in the tournament. Germany was knocked out by England in the round of 16.

On June 12, 2024, just two days before UEFA Euro 2024 started in Germany, Emre Can was called up to the German squad. He replaced the injured Aleksandar Pavlović. In the opening match against Scotland, he came off the bench and scored the final goal. Germany won that game 5-1.

How Emre Can Plays

Emre Can is known for his ability to both attack and defend from midfield. This has led to comparisons with other German midfielders like Michael Ballack and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Before calling Emre up to the senior team, Germany's coach Joachim Löw praised him. He said Emre has a good, all-around game and that they were watching his progress.

Emre is also praised for being very versatile. In his first season at Liverpool, he showed he could play in many different roles. He has played as a central midfielder, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, winger, and even as a right-sided full-back or centre-back. He is also known for being calm with the ball, having lots of energy, good positioning, and good timing.

Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann described him as "physically strong, a good passer and technically gifted." Football writer Jack Watson called Emre a complete and versatile player. He said Emre has excellent awareness and is "strong, quick, smart and can tackle, pass and shoot." Andrew Beasley noted that Emre is strong in the air. Matt Jones of Bleacher Report described Emre as an intelligent player with good passing. He said Emre "...is powerful in possession and difficult to barge off the ball when he does march up the pitch." However, Jones also mentioned that Emre can sometimes be inconsistent. Beyond his skills, Emre has shown strong leadership throughout his career, especially as captain of Borussia Dortmund.

Personal Life

Emre Can is a Muslim.

In October 2019, Turkish footballer Cenk Tosun shared a photo online. It showed support for soldiers involved in a military action. Emre Can and İlkay Gündoğan, who are German with Turkish backgrounds, initially liked the post. However, they both later removed their likes. Emre told a German newspaper that he is "an absolute pacifist and against all forms of war." He also said he liked the post by accident while looking through his social media.

In January 2023, Emre Can shared that he had thyroid cancer. It was found during his medical tests before he joined Juventus. He had surgery for it in October 2018.

Career Statistics

Club

International

International goals

Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first.

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	8 October 2017	Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany	Azerbaijan	5–1	5–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.	14 June 2024	Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany	Scotland	5–1	5–1	UEFA Euro 2024

Football Achievements

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 2012–13
• DFB-Pokal: 2012–13
• DFL-Supercup: 2012
• UEFA Champions League: 2012–13

Liverpool

• Football League Cup runner-up: 2015–16
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2017–18
• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2015–16

Juventus

• Serie A: 2018–19, 2019–20
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2018

Borussia Dortmund

• DFB-Pokal: 2020–21
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2023–24

Germany U-17

• UEFA European Under-17 Championship runner-up: 2011
• FIFA U-17 World Cup third place: 2011

Germany

• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2017

Individual Awards

• Fritz Walter Medal U17 Gold: 2011
• UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2011
• Liverpool Young Player of the Season: 2015–16
• UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2015–16
• Liverpool Goal of the Season: 2016–17
• BBC Goal of the Season: 2016–17
• Premier League Goal of the Season: 2016–17
• Bundesliga Goal of the Month: February 2020
• Bundesliga Goal of the Season: 2019–20