Christian Clemens

Christian Clemens (born 4 August 1991) is a German professional footballer who plays as a winger for Regionalliga West club 1. FC Düren.

Clemens started his career with SC Weiler-Volkhoven, joined 1. FC Köln at the age of ten and progressed through the club's youth system.

In July 2009, he was promoted to the 1.FC Köln II.

After previously been called up the first team as an unused substitute in the last game of the season against Nürnberg in the 2009–10 season, Clemens made his first-team debut in a 1–0 win against FC St. Pauli.

Following the match, Goal.com praised Clemens' debut, having "switched off from the midfield several times on the offensive, unsettled the Pauli four-chain." Clemens quickly got involved in the first team in number of matches as the season goes by.

On 11 December 2010, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Despite suffering from an injury, relating to the stress response of the bone that kept him out for the rest of the season, Clemens finished the 2010–11 season, making thirty appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.

Clemens then scored his second goal for the club on 5 February 2011, in a 3–2 win over Bayern Munich.

Clemens' performance in his first season at the club earned him a contract extension on 30 March 2011.

In the 2011–12 season, Clemens returned to the first team when he made his first appearance since returning from injury, in a 5–1 loss against Schalke 04 on 13 August 2011.

Weeks later, Clemens scored his first goal of the season on 27 August 2011, in a 4–3 win over Hamburger SV.

He started the season, coming on as a substitute, in number of matches, which he acknowledged.

Clemens then scored, as well as, setting up one of the goals, in a 3–2 loss against Werder Bremen on 5 November 2011; then scoring twice on 10 December 2011, in a 4–0 win over Freiburg.

Despite this, Clemens finished the 2011–12 season, making thirty-three appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.

Following the club's relegation to 2.

It was not until 10 March 2012 when he scored his fifth goal of the season, in a 1–0 win over Hertha BSC.

However, Clemens was unable to help the club avoid relegation to 2. Bundesliga next season.

Bundesliga, Clemens missed the 2012–13 season, due to a ruptured intramuscular ligament initiation in the ankle during a friendly match against Heerenveen.

It was not until on 27 August 2012 when he made his first appearance of the season, in a 2–0 loss against Erzgebirge Aue.

After missing out one match, Clemens scored on his return, in a 3–3 draw against Kaiserslautern on 26 October 2012.

From 10 December 2012 to 3 March 2013, Clemens scored five goals in eight matches in all competitions, including goals against Eintracht Braunschweig, Stuttgart and St. Pauli.

Clemens' performance later in the 2012–13 season earned him Player of the Month on three occasion.

Clemens went on to make thirty-three appearances and scoring seven times in all competitions.

For his performance the whole season, Clemens was awarded the club's Player of the Year Award.

Following the end of the 2012–13 season, Clemens was linked with a move to Schalke 04 for the 2013–14 Bundesliga season.

It was later revealed that he has an exit clause that allows him to leave the club.

With his departure increasingly slim, Clemens played his last home again for the club, where he scored in a 2–1 loss against Hertha BC on 12 May 2013.

Clemens' move to Schalke 04 was confirmed on 17 June 2013.

On 17 June 2013, Schalke 04 confirmed that Christian Clemens had signed a four-year contract with them until 30 June 2017.

The transfer fee was reported as €3 million by the Schalke Sport and Communications manager Horst Heldt.

Upon joining the club, Clemens was assigned a number 11 shirt, previously worn by Ibrahim Afellay.

Clemens made his debut for the club, in the opening game of the season, where he played the whole game and set up one of the goals, in a 3–3 draw against Hamburger SV.

In the second round of DFB-Pokal, Clemens set one of the goals, in a 3–1 win over Darmstadt 98 to progress to the next round.

Clemens remained in the first team at the start of the season until he suffered a strain on his muscle thigh.

Clemens returned to the first team from injury on 7 December 2013, in a 2–1 loss against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

However, Clemens suffered a stubborn palsy problems that kept him out for the rest of the season.

Ahead of the 2014–15 season, Clemens continued to recover from his injury, but suffered a muscle fiber tears in the pre-season.

Soon, he began to recover quickly the following month and made his first appearance on 18 August 2014, in the first round of DFB-Pokal, with a 2–1 loss against Dynamo Dresden.

However, Clemens struggled to regain his first team place since returning from injury at Schalke 04.

On 6 January 2015, Clemens left Schalke 04 to join Bundesliga's rival Mainz 05 on loan, until the end of the 2015–16 season.