Tom Starke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tom Starke

Starke training for Bayern Munich in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Tom Peter Starke
Date of birth	(1981-03-18) 18 March 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth	Freital, East Germany
Height	1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Bayern Munich U19 (goalkeeping coach)
Youth career
1988–1989	Stahl Freital
1989–1999	Dynamo Dresden
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2006	Bayer Leverkusen II	53	(0)
2000–2006	Bayer Leverkusen	0	(0)
2004	→ Hamburger SV (loan)	2	(0)
2004	→ Hamburger SV II (loan)	2	(0)
2006–2007	Paderborn 07	47	(0)
2007–2010	MSV Duisburg	86	(0)
2010–2012	1899 Hoffenheim	58	(0)
2012–2018	Bayern Munich	10	(0)
2016–2017	Bayern Munich II	2	(0)
Total		260	(0)
International career
2001	Germany U20	4	(0)
2002–2004	Germany U21	12	(0)
Managerial career
2015–2017	Bayern Munich Youth (goalkeeping coach)
2017–2019	Bayern Munich U19 (goalkeeping coach)
2019	Bayern Munich (goalkeeping coach)
2019–	Bayern Munich U19 (goalkeeping coach)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Tom Peter Starke, born on March 18, 1981, is a German former professional footballer. He was a talented goalkeeper. Starke played for six different clubs in Germany's top football league, the Bundesliga, during his 18-season career. Today, he works as a goalkeeping coach for the Bayern Munich U19 team. Even though he wasn't always the main goalkeeper at Bayern Munich, Starke was part of the team that won many big titles. These included six Bundesliga championships, the DFB-Pokal, and the UEFA Champions League.

Tom Starke's Football Journey

Early Days and Bayer Leverkusen

Tom Starke was born in Freital, East Germany. When he was young, he didn't play football right away. Instead, he played handball as a goalkeeper. He also ran long distances in sports events called the Spartakiad.

In August 1988, Starke started playing football. His first club, Stahl Freital, needed players. The coach made him a goalkeeper. Later, he joined Dynamo Dresden and then Bayer Leverkusen.

Starke played his first game for Bayer Leverkusen on August 25, 2000. It was a DFB-Pokal match against St. Pauli, which they lost 2–1. This was his only game for the main team at Leverkusen. For most of his time there, he played for the reserve team, Bayer Leverkusen II. He was often a substitute for the main team's goalkeeper, Hans-Jörg Butt.

In January 2004, Starke was loaned to Hamburger SV. He played his first game for them on March 13, 2004, helping them win 2–0 against Hertha BSC. He played one more game for Hamburger SV before returning to Leverkusen.

Playing for Paderborn 07

Starke playing for Paderborn 07 in 2006

On January 6, 2006, Starke joined Paderborn 07. He signed a two-year contract. He quickly became the team's main goalkeeper.

Starke's first game for Paderborn 07 was on January 20, 2006. It was a 1–1 draw against SpVgg Unterhaching. He helped his team keep four clean sheets (no goals conceded) in the next four games. He played 17 games in his first season.

In the 2006–07 season, Starke continued as the main goalkeeper. He started well, keeping clean sheets in the first two league matches. He played in every game until he got a knee injury. Starke returned on March 11, 2007, and helped his team win 3–2. He played 32 games that season.

Time at MSV Duisburg

Starke with MSV Duisburg, 2009

Starke joined MSV Duisburg on June 1, 2007. He made his debut in a DFB-Pokal match, which Duisburg won 4–0. A week later, he played his first league game, a 3–1 win against Borussia Dortmund.

He quickly became the first-choice goalkeeper for Duisburg. He kept two clean sheets in his first few games. Starke played in every match until he got a foot injury that kept him out for a month. He returned on February 23, 2008, helping his team win 2–0. Duisburg was relegated (moved down a league) that season, but Starke played 33 games.

In the 2008–09 season, Starke broke his thumb, which kept him out for a month. When he returned, he got his starting spot back. He helped the team keep three clean sheets in a row in April and May 2009. He played 25 games that season.

For the 2009–10 season, Starke was sometimes the team captain. He played in every game until he got a stomach injury. He returned in December 2009. In January 2010, he officially became the team captain. Starke was voted the club's player of the season. Fans really liked him during his time at MSV Duisburg.

Moving to 1899 Hoffenheim

Starke's good performances at Duisburg caught the eye of other clubs. On April 30, 2010, he signed a three-year contract with 1899 Hoffenheim.

He made his Hoffenheim debut in a DFB-Pokal match, which they won 4–1. He played a few more games before a calf injury kept him out. Starke returned in September 2010. He then got another muscle injury that kept him out for months.

He returned on January 15, 2011, and quickly became the team's main goalkeeper again. On April 16, 2011, he was captain for the first time for Hoffenheim, helping them win 1–0. He played 28 games in his first season and was nominated for the club's Player of the Year award.

In the 2011–12 season, Starke continued as Hoffenheim's first-choice goalkeeper. He kept two clean sheets early in the season. He played in every game until he got a concussion in October. He was captain again in a match against 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He played 36 games that season.

Joining Bayern Munich

Starke during training at Bayern Munich in 2015

On May 16, 2012, Bayern Munich signed Tom Starke on a three-year contract. He joined after Hoffenheim signed another goalkeeper, Tim Wiese. Starke thanked Hoffenheim and its fans when he left.

At Bayern Munich, Starke became the second-choice goalkeeper, behind the famous Manuel Neuer. He was often on the substitute bench. He played his first game for Bayern on October 31, 2012, in a DFB-Pokal match, keeping a clean sheet.

Starke's first Bundesliga game for Bayern was on March 3, 2013, against his old team, Hoffenheim, which Bayern won 1–0. In another game, he saved a penalty with his face! He also helped Bayern win 1–0 against SC Freiburg, setting a new Bundesliga record for points. In his first season, Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga, the Champions League, and the DFB-Pokal. Starke played four games that season.

Starke during training at Bayern Munich in 2016

At the start of the 2013–14 season, Starke played in the DFL-Supercup against Borussia Dortmund. He continued as the second-choice goalkeeper. He played two more league games that season. He got an elbow injury in training, which ended his season early. Even so, Bayern won the Bundesliga, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the DFB-Pokal. Starke played three games that season.

For the next three seasons, Starke became the third-choice goalkeeper after Pepe Reina and Sven Ulreich joined the team. In December 2014, he signed a new contract until 2016. He also started working as a goalkeeper coach for Bayern's junior teams. He signed another contract extension at the end of the 2015–16 season.

On May 6, 2017, Starke played for Bayern Munich for the first time in three years. He helped them win 1–0 against Darmstadt 98. He played one more game, a 5–4 win against RB Leipzig. Starke announced his retirement on May 17, 2017. His final official match was on May 20, a 4–1 win for Bayern against SC Freiburg. He played three games in the 2016–17 season, and Bayern won the Bundesliga again.

Soon after, Bayern hired Starke as a goalkeeping coach coordinator. Because Manuel Neuer was injured, Starke was called back to play for Bayern in some pre-season games in 2017. He was even added to Bayern's UEFA Champions League squad in September 2017. Starke made some great saves in a 1–0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in December 2017. He also kept a clean sheet in a 1–0 win against 1. FC Köln. He spent the rest of the 2017–18 season as the second-choice goalkeeper behind Ulreich. Bayern won the league again that season.

At the end of the 2017–18 season, Starke officially retired from playing football for good. He went back to his job at the FC Bayern Campus as the goalkeeper coordinator for Bayern's youth teams. In December 2018, he became an assistant goalkeeper coach for the main team.

International Matches

Tom Starke played for Germany's youth national teams. From 2002 to 2004, he was part of the Germany U21 squad.

Career Statistics

Here's a table showing Tom Starke's appearances and goals for different clubs and competitions throughout his career.

Tom Starke's Family Life

Tom Starke is married and has two children. He comes from a family that loves sports. His younger brother, Manuel, also plays football as a midfielder.

Awards and Trophies

Tom Starke won many important titles, especially with Bayern Munich:

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
• DFB-Pokal: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16
• DFL-Supercup: 2012, 2016
• UEFA Champions League: 2012–13
• UEFA Super Cup: 2013
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2013

See also

In Spanish: Tom Starke para niños