FC Schalke: It’s happening again, and his name is Ozan Kabak

Every so often, FC Schalke fans get to get really excited about a new arrival, and it’s happening again. This time his name is Ozan Kabak.

FC Schalke have the unfortunate fate of oftentimes being a feeder club. We don’t make big signings, we don’t keep hold of superstars. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t still get ridiculously excited when a new young star emerges at the club, and it’s happening again. His name is Ozan Kabak.

To be fair, Ozan Kabak isn’t a new name. He’s been here for about four months. But while he sat in the peripherals, safely behind the quality defensive partnership of Benjamin Stambouli and Salif Sane, there wasn’t a lot of excitement. Simply because we hadn’t seen him.

Still, any 19-year-old that FC Schalke buys is bound to be something, and Ozan Kabak is.

With both Stambouli and Sane suffering long-term injuries, Ozan Kabak now has a massive runway with which to establish himself. All this in spite of hesitations from David Wagner mere weeks ago.

And it’s shaping up to be something pretty special.

More from Release The Knappen

• Schalke 04: Arkadiusz Milik would take everything, but he’s worth it
• Schalke 04: Ozan Kabak makes Jean-Claire Todibo pass quietly
• Schalke 04: Omar Mascarell the only boost between now and then
• Schalke 04: David Wagner just has to make it to the end of the season
• Schalke 04: At least we still have Weston McKennie

There are certain things you expect a young defender who may or may not be ‘ready’ to have. Nerves, for one. Kabak doesn’t have that. A heavy touch (part of the nerves), for another. Kabak might have a bit of that, but nothing detrimental.

There are also certain things you may not expect a young defender to have. Especially a centerback. Two goals in two Bundesliga starts, neither of which was cheap, both of which were huge? You don’t expect that. Composure driving the ball up the pitch like a midfielder and splitting through opposing front lines? You don’t expect that.

All of this is amounting to another young player that FC Schalke have pegged who is turning into a conduit of excitement going forward.

Like I said, this comes around pretty frequently in Gelsenkirchen. I remember when Amine Harit was first coming on to the scene. It was pure magic. Not to draw unnecessary comparisons yet, but Kabak is looking like pure magic too. Those thumping headed goals on set-pieces, his calmness in possession. It’s something truly great, and something I can’t wait to see more and more of.

Call it finding the silver lining of the cloud of this defensive injury crisis if you want, I don’t care. Kabak has become a point of excitement every time FC Schalke take the pitch.