When Joachim Löw names his provisional Germany squad for the FIFA 2018 World Cup on 15 May, Cologne left-back Jonas Hector may well find himself on the books of a second-tier club. Will that hinder his chances of playing at the finals? Not in the slightest.
Hector is very much a Löw guy, much like Lukas Podolski – relegated with Cologne prior to the 2006 World Cup, where he won the prize for the tournament's Best Young Player – enjoyed the full backing of Jögi's predecessor, Jürgen Klinsmann.
Cologne's vice-captain fantastic doesn't make headlines for grabbing assists like Augsburg counterpart Philipp Max and he doesn't have stunning free-kicks in his locker like Hertha Berlin's Marvin Plattenhardt, but he is (a) a tried and tested member of the current Germany set-up; (b) a grafter; (c) mega-versatile and (d) refreshingly modest.
Watch: Jonas Hector: part of the Cologne furniture
Capped 35 times by his country, 27-year-old Hector has been an ever-present at senior international level since Germany lifted the 2014 World Cup. He played every minute of Die Mannschaft's UEFA Euro 2016 campaign, confidently dispatching the decisive penalty past Gianluigi Buffon in the quarter-final win over Italy, and missed just one game at last year's triumphant Confederations Cup in Russia.
"Jonas has a got a lot of depth, he really understands the game," Löw said last March. "He defends, attacks and passes well. He also knows when to sit back and get stuck in, and when to go forward. Above all, he's reliable and has a cool head. We've even thought about playing him in central midfield."
An attacking midfielder in his youth, Hector still retains the in-game intelligence that first caught Cologne's eye in summer 2010. Just look at where he has been deployed for club and country since: on the left wing, in defensive midfield, at centre-back and, for the most part, in his now favoured role on the left-hand side of defence.
Hector's morph-like malleability at the highest level is all the more remarkable, when you consider that, until the age of 20, he was playing for Auersmacher in Germany's fifth division. He even turned down a move to join the Saarbrücken youth academy, in favour of "continuing to play with my friends."
Hector already has more assists in 35 international appearances (10) than retired World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm managed at the same juncture (five). © gettyimages / Alexander Hassenstein
Eventually, and inevitably, the talent outgrew the backwaters of German football. Hector moved to Cologne, happily spending two formative years in the reserve team, before making his Bundesliga 2 debut in August 2012. Promotion to the Bundesliga followed in 2014 – the same year the humble left-back received his first senior cap. He has since donned the captain's armband at club level, and is the only current Germany international not to have graduated through a youth academy.
"I've never met a guy like him before, neither as a player and nor as a coach," former Cologne boss Peter Stöger – now of Borussia Dortmund – said of Hector. "He's developed into a top-class player. You can see how he has grown in confidence. He's matured on and off the pitch. He's spent time in the company of world-class players, and learned from them. He's become an integral member of the Germany team."
Unfortunately for Stöger, injury deprived the Austrian tactician of his most trusted on-field ally during the final months of his Cologne tenure. The Billy Goats picked up just six points in 14 games without their resident general, but have amassed 11 from nine since he returned – too late to keep Stöger in the job – at the turn of the year. Although the two-time Bundesliga champions have been anchored to the foot of the standings since Matchday 3, you have to wonder where they might be had Hector not been sidelined for so long.
Hector turned down a host of offers to stay with Cologne in 2016. He is contracted until 2021. © gettyimages / Lars Baron / Bongarts
Wherever Cologne land come May – they're currently eight points adrift of safety – Hector has told sources close to bundesliga.com that he's happy at the Cathedral City club regardless of what league they're in. For a player who purportedly turned down Barcelona for fear of not being good enough, and Liverpool – "why would I go there, when I have everything I need at Cologne?" – such unwavering commitment hardly comes as a surprise.
When all is said and done, Hector could be playing for Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League or earning a crust in the regional divisions. He'd still be happy with his lot, and he'd still be an integral part of Löw's World Cup plans. The almost accidental rise to the top of Germany's world-class left-back next door continues apace.
Chris Mayer-Lodge
Source: bundesliga.com