FC Schalke: 10 best players in post-war club history
By Josh Sippie
5. Olaf Thon
Olaf Thon was one of those guys that wasted no time in becoming prolific. In his first season ever at just 17 years old, he notched 17 goals in 38 appearances. All this in a campaign that brought his new club back up into the Bundesliga after finishing second in the second tier and winning their way into the top flight.
From there on out, he was a regular for the club, putting his stamp on it for the long haul. Unfortunately, that long haul was interrupted when he took the familiar move to Bayern Munich, where he won three Bundesliga titles and a Supercup. However, he did make his return to Schalke at the age of 28, and that’s when the honors began returning to Schalke for the first time in decades.
Settling back in as a regular, Thon helped Schalke win their first UEFA Cup in 1997, scoring his attempt in a penalty win over Inter.
Thon’s involvement died down due to injuries in his last couple of years at the club, but his presence off the pitch was still massive as the club moved on to win two straight DFB-Pokal Cups in 2001 and 2002, his last year at the club.
Even with the Bayern “hiccup” in the midst of his career, Thon had a tremendous time at Schalke starting from a young age. He scored goals, he anchored the midfield, he won trophies. He did it all.
Coming in at No. 4…