Gladstone youth football product Tyler Wise signs with Holzwickeder SC in Germany

Former Central Football Club livewire Tyler Wise recently signed a deal with a German Football Club. Read about the exciting deal and his dream to play high level European football.

A Gladstone football prodigy Tyler Wise said he wanted to make his family and friends back home proud after inking a contract with a German club.

The former Central Football Club livewire recently signed a deal with Holzwickeder SC, that play in a division situated in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia state.

Wise, 18, will initially play with the club’s U19 team, however, has ambitions of playing European football at a high level one day.

“I realised from when I was 10 years old that I wanted to become a professional footballer,” he said.

“From this early age I also realised if I truly wanted to achieve this goal then I would have to at some stage in my career move outside of Gladstone and it was a risk I was willing to take.”

Wise said the offer from Holzwickeder SC came about through connections made with his footballing mentor Chris McLeod.

“Chris was a coach who was instrumental in my development on and off the pitch,” Wise said.

“I was fortunate to be coached and mentored by Chris McLeod. Chris was the first person who scouted me on a football camp held at Toowoomba Grammar and wanted me to come to the school.

“My time at Toowoomba Grammar made me the footballer I am today and it was through Chris, who was my School’s ‘First XI’ coach, that Holzwickeder SC was able to have a look at my playing style and they decided that they wanted to sign me into their U19 team.”

Tyler Wise in action for his former high school Toowoomba Grammar School.

Wise said he was very excited when he received the offer which he said he had been working towards for several years before hand.

“I had already sacrificed so much so it was reliving to know it was all worth it,” he said.

“It was encouraging to be identified as a talent from a European club. I hope to impress over here and work my way into the first team.”

Wise said he hoped to put his best foot forward in Germany and had already enrolled in a German language class.

“ I love the German culture and I am excited to immerse myself within it,” he said.

“I am a big fan of German football. The style, pace and strength they have on the ball are aspects that I wish to improve on more while I am here.”

Wise said Holzwickeder SC had organised a homestay family with a person from his team for him to stay which made it very affordable for him to live there.

“They organised a school to accommodate my German classes,” he said.

“They also are supportive of my youth development and if I can prove myself they want to introduce me to men’s football at a high level.”

Wise said his dream was to progress to a higher level of football.

“I wish to play in Europe and progress my personal footballing games and compete for titles with Holzwickeder U19,” he said.

“I hope to play for the first team in the second half of this year and then eventually progress into making a living off football.

“I hope to make my friends and family proud and I know they are backing me every step of the way.”

Originally published as Gladstone youth football product Tyler Wise signs with Holzwickeder SC in Germany