1. FC Heidenheim have further strengthened their midfield with the signing of Jan Schöppner from SC Verl, whilst they have also confirmed the return of David Otto.
Otto, who was with the club last season, joins again on loan for another year from Hoffenheim despite the club announcing the striker’s departure just three weeks ago.
That though was before Tim Kleindienst had left to join Niklas Dorsch at Gent. It is Dorsch, as well as Sebastian Griesbeck, that Schöppner will help to replace.
The midfielder scored seven goals and made three assists in 23 appearances for the Regionalliga West side last season, and he also appeared in both games at the Westphalian side won their play-off against Lokomotive Leipzig to seal promotion to the 3. Liga.
The club have given the 21-year-old a three-year contract, with CEO Holger Sanwald describing him as a “talented young midfielder” who had been “a top performer” with his previous club.
Schöppner says that he is “really looking forward” to the next stage of his career and that Heidenheim gives him “a great opportunity that I will try to make full use of from the first second.” He admits it is “a big step up” from the Regionalliga but he “wanted to take this exact step.”
On Otto, who scored just one goal but had five assists in 25 league games last season, Sanwald said that he had “grown tremendously over the course of the second half of (last) season,” and that the club were “pleased” to be able to bring him back.
Otto believes it was “the logical step for my development” to stay at Heidenheim, adding that he wants to “improve in all areas,” and will do everything to can to “gain even more practice and experience.”
2liga.net 