Talent calendar
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Kevin Trapp recently emphasized in the “Bild” interview that he won’t play until he’s 44, but “at a very high level for as long as possible (…). It’s important for me that I can decide when I want to play,” said the number one, who will be tied to Eintracht Frankfurt until 2026. But the SGE seems to be well prepared for the future in goal. Replacement Kauã Santos (21) recently received a lot of praise for his performance during Trapp’s thigh injury, and in the shadow of the two, the next top talent, Nils Ramming, is also maturing.
The 17-year-old was born in London to a German father and a Swedish mother. He lived in the British capital for ten years and started playing football at school alongside rugby, cricket and tennis. It was “always the most fun for him,” Ramming explained in an interview on the club website. At the weekend we went to Primrose Hill and Regent’s Park.
You can also catch celebrities like actor Woody Harrelson and singer Gwen Stefani playing football at the popular Primrose Hill
From the beginning he wanted to take the position between the posts, which was so often unpopular when he was a child. “For me it was never a question. “I always wanted to be in goal,” Ramming made clear. In an interview with the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, he once remembered: “I think at some point I found a pair of gloves in my apartment, put them on and then went out to the park.” He ended up in the academy through the school team of today’s third division club Leyton Orient, competed against the likes of Man City and Tottenham or at a tournament in Valencia.
At the age of 10, he went to Frankfurt – and went straight to Eintracht
In 2017, the family moved to his father’s homeland. “We always traveled to Frankfurt to visit grandma and grandpa. “That’s why I knew Frankfurt, but otherwise everything was new to me,” recalled Ramming. In terms of football, the focus went straight to Eintracht, who had just narrowly missed out on winning the cup against Dortmund (1:2). Together with his brother, he found a connection at the SGE football school’s summer camp. “It was great to train in front of the stadium as a ten-year-old and get to know Eintracht Frankfurt.” And important for the next steps.
The Ramming family met Norbert Nachtweih, who worked in the youth department of Frankfurt’s cooperation club SC Hessen Dreieich. Nils was accommodated there straight away and in two years he was promoted to the D-Youth team for the move to Eintracht. He has been wearing the SGE jersey since 2019 and is always one step ahead of his peers. For example, in the second half of last season, Ramming was promoted early from the U17 to the U19, and since the summer, as a 17-year-old, he has been guarding the Eintracht reserve goal in the Regionalliga Südwest.
When I got the call I couldn’t believe it. It was a dream.
This was also promoted by professional goalkeeping coach Jan Zimmermann. Ramming was able to get a taste of the Bundesliga team for the first time a year ago. “When I got the call I couldn’t believe it. “It was a dream,” he looked back. In November he was even in the squad for the first time in the Conference League game in Helsinki (1-0). “It was incredible. It was great fun. I was able to fly with the team, play football tennis with them in the hotel and just be with them all day to see what life is like as a professional,” said Ramming, who has also played in the Europa League several times this season sat on the bench.
Ramming impresses with Eintracht Frankfurt with his overall package
“Nils is a calm, matter-of-fact goalkeeper. “Both last season as a U17 and this season at the age of 17 in the regional league, he plays very maturely and adapts to the higher level very quickly,” says Zimmermann, summarizing his impressions when asked by TM. “His great strengths include his one-on-one behavior, but also his calmness and overview with the ball at his feet. Nils is very intelligent and quickly recognizes which building blocks are important. He has improved his coaching in the last few weeks and is now loudly directing those in front of him. In addition, his curiosity and eagerness to learn help him to constantly develop himself further.”
Ramming is already a “complete goalkeeper and footballer,” says TM data manager Jan Göbel (“BuddiesUnited”), who has followed him live several times in the various junior teams of the SGE, who particularly focus on possession of the ball, an orderly build-up of the game and luring out the opponents set. “Ramming is a suitable goalkeeper for this because he can handle the ball very well. He plays very good and accurate passes and can do this even in pressure situations. He regularly uses deception and little tricks with which he invites the attackers, or lobs over the attacker to his defender.
Göbel therefore draws a comparison to Bayern captain Manuel Neuer (38) in terms of his style of play. “Similar to Neuer, ramming is occasionally good for short excursions, but they don’t always end well,” explains the TM expert. In addition to his qualities, Ramming also impresses with his athletic body – with a height of 1.94 meters. “This gives him a good presence in goal. He uses his size to intercept corners and crosses and, despite his size, has a good reaction time and is quick down low. I would describe him as a complete goalkeeper because he is strong on the line, but also when he comes out and can also do something with his feet on the ball.”
Lots of talent, lots of qualities and the necessary self-confidence.
Ramming makes “a very mature and self-confident impression on him,” says Göbel. “If a goal was conceded after a mistake, he was just as self-confident and strong in the rest of the game, you didn’t notice that he became nervous after that or just played cautiously and safely. That’s why Eintracht promoted him to the U21 team so early on. That’s exactly the reason that gives me hope that he can also assert himself in professional football: a lot of talent, a lot of qualities and the necessary self-confidence.”
Ramming describes himself as a modern goalkeeper. “I’m good with my feet and I like to dominate in the penalty area,” he also emphasized. A particular challenge that he enjoys is responsibility. “That you can win or lose games. I think that’s one of the most important things when you’re a goalkeeper. That you can accept it and deal with it.” Communication is also particularly important to him; he always wants to be “part of the game”.
Ramming chooses Sweden for the time being
This is also the case with him on his international trips. His choice fell on the Swedish association, and it doesn’t look like that will change in the near future. “I go to Gothenburg every summer and winter. I’ve always been in Sweden since I was very young, so I feel completely Swedish,” explained Ramming, even though he took part in a DFB training camp in Murcia, Spain, last January. He went to the European Championships with the Swedish U17 in May and made two appearances.
He “absolutely wanted to present himself well”. “When I put on the Swedish jersey for the first time, felt the atmosphere and the organization around it, I already felt the pressure. But it made me want more!” They were completely new impressions. “Playing for Sweden gives me the opportunity to compete internationally and prove myself in a new environment. It’s just an incredibly great experience.” Curious: His teammates initially thought he didn’t know Swedish. “They spoke English to me at first. So I had to explain this to them: Yes, I can speak Swedish! But it’s been great since then.”
Ramming wants to become a professional at Eintracht Frankfurt
The rapid rise in Frankfurt feels just as great. “Training with the professionals was a glimpse into the future and I saw where all the work will hopefully lead if I continue to work hard on myself,” said Ramming, whose contract expires at the end of the season. The SGE will certainly do everything it can to keep him. And Ramming doesn’t sound like he’s pushing for a farewell either. “I’m a Eintracht fan, I can say that with pride. I want to make my debut at Eintracht, I want to play in the Bundesliga, the Champions League… That’s my dream.”
Every day from December 1st to 24th, Transfermarkt will present a talent from the 2007 or 2008 vintage from a different country. Sponsors, data scouts and users act as experts and report interesting facts about 24 young players in our talent calendar who you should keep a close eye on in the future. For example with the TM-Watchlist.
