Philipp Degen facts for kids
Degen with Borussia Dortmund in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Philipp Degen | ||
| Date of birth | 15 February 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Liestal, Switzerland | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right back, right winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1987–1995 | FC Oberdorf | ||
| 1995–2001 | Basel | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2005 | Basel | 82 | (4) |
| 2005–2008 | Borussia Dortmund | 68 | (1) |
| 2008–2011 | Liverpool | 7 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | → VfB Stuttgart (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2011–2016 | Basel | 76 | (7) |
| Total | 238 | (12) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001 | Switzerland U-17 | 5 | (0) |
| 2001 | Switzerland U-19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Switzerland U-20 | 4 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | Switzerland U-21 | 14 | (0) |
| 2005–2009 | Switzerland | 32 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Philipp Degen, born on February 15, 1983, is a retired Swiss professional footballer. He usually played as a right back. He could also play as a left back or on the right wing. Philipp Degen played for Switzerland in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was part of the team for UEFA Euro 2008.
He started his football journey at his local club, FC Oberdorf. Later, he joined the youth team of FC Basel. He played four seasons with Basel's first team before moving to Borussia Dortmund in Germany. After three years there, he joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2008. Injuries affected his time at both Dortmund and Liverpool. In 2011, he returned to Basel. Philipp Degen retired from professional football at the end of the 2015/16 season. He won eight Swiss championship titles during his career.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Basel
Philipp Degen and his twin brother, David, played youth football at FC Oberdorf. In 1995, they both moved to the youth academy of FC Basel. Philipp joined Basel's main team for the 2001–02 season. His first game was in July 2001 in the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
He made his first league appearance in December 2001. That season, Basel won the league championship and the Swiss Cup, achieving a "double." This means they won two major titles in one season.
In his second season, Philipp played more often as a right-back. Basel finished second in the league but won the Swiss Cup again in 2003. This was their second cup title in a row.
Becoming a Regular Player
For the 2003–04 season, Degen became a regular starter for Basel. He scored his first goal for the team in July 2003. Basel had a fantastic start to the league season, winning their first 13 matches. They went on to win the championship with 85 points. Degen played in 32 out of 36 league matches that season.
In the 2004–05 season, Basel played in the Champions League qualifiers. They then moved to the 2004–05 UEFA Cup. Basel reached the knockout stage of the UEFA Cup. They finished the 2004–05 Super League season undefeated at home. They won the Swiss championship again, 10 points ahead of the second-placed team.
During his first four years at Basel, Degen played 82 league games and scored four goals. He helped the team win three league titles and one Swiss Cup.
Moving to Borussia Dortmund
After his successful time at Basel, Philipp Degen signed with Borussia Dortmund in Germany. He played for them for three seasons in the Bundesliga. He made 68 appearances and scored one goal. His last season, 2007–08, was difficult because of injuries. He only played in 16 matches that year.
Time at Liverpool
On July 3, 2008, Degen joined Liverpool in England on a free transfer. This meant Liverpool didn't have to pay a transfer fee to Dortmund. Liverpool's manager, Rafael Benítez, said Degen was an "offensive player with great energy." Degen himself said joining Liverpool was a "challenge" because they are a top club.
He made his Liverpool debut in a friendly match in July 2008. His first official game was in the Football League Cup in September 2008. However, he got injured during that game, breaking two ribs and puncturing his lung. He was out for two months.
In November 2008, he returned to play but suffered another injury, breaking a bone in his foot. He described it as the "worst thing that has ever happened" to him. More injuries followed in January 2009.
After 14 months, Degen finally made his Premier League debut in September 2009. He came on as a substitute in a 4–0 win. He later got his first Premier League start in October 2009 but was sent off with a red card. Despite his injuries, he continued to work hard. He played more games when other players were injured.
Loan to Stuttgart
In July 2010, Liverpool's manager, Roy Hodgson, said Degen could look for a new club. In August 2010, Degen was loaned to VfB Stuttgart in Germany until the end of the season. He only played five matches for Stuttgart.
Returning to Basel
On August 31, 2011, Liverpool ended Degen's contract. Soon after, he asked to train with his old club, Basel. The new manager, Heiko Vogel, offered him a contract in November 2011.
After returning, he played his first game in the Swiss Cup. He scored a goal in that match. He played his first league game back at Basel in December 2011. At the end of the 2011–12 season, Degen helped Basel win both the League Championship and the Swiss Cup.
He continued to win titles with Basel. In the 2012–13 season, Basel won the league again and reached the Swiss Cup final. They also made it to the semi-finals of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, a big European competition.
In the 2013–14 season, Degen won his sixth league championship with Basel. They also reached the Swiss Cup final again. Basel played in the Champions League group stage that season. They then moved to the Europa League knockout phase and reached the quarter-finals.
The 2014–15 season was very successful for Basel. They won the championship for the sixth time in a row. They also reached the Swiss Cup final. In the Champions League, Basel reached the knockout phase after a 1–1 draw against Liverpool.
Under manager Urs Fischer, Degen won the Swiss Super League championship at the end of the 2015–16 season. This was his eighth league title overall and his fifth in a row.
At the end of the 2015–16 season, Philipp Degen retired from professional football. Between 2001 and 2005, and again from 2011 to 2016, Degen played 333 games for Basel. He scored 18 goals in total. During his career with Basel, he won the Swiss championship eight times and the Swiss Cup twice.
International Career
Philipp Degen played for Switzerland at different age levels. This included the Under-17s, Under-19s, Under-20s, and Under-21s.
He played for the Swiss senior team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Switzerland reached the last 16 before being knocked out. Even though he had been injured, Degen was chosen for the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. However, he did not play in any games during that tournament. He played his last game for the Swiss national team in November 2009.
Personal Life
Philipp Degen has a twin brother named David. David was also a professional footballer and played for FC Basel. David retired from football at the end of the 2013/14 season.
Honours
FC Basel
- Swiss Super League: 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Swiss Cup: 2002–03, 2011–12
- Swiss Cup runner up: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
- Uhren Cup: 2013
See also
In Spanish: Philipp Degen para niños
