Darmstadt 98 defender, Patric Pfeiffer, is one of the Ghanaian players born abroad who have completed their nationality switch to Ghana.
His name doesn't ring a bell when talking about the top Ghanaian centre-backs in Europe and he appears to be one of the surprising names among the five players to have completed their switch.
Pfeiffer after completing his switch will represent Ghana in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and also the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Here is what to expect from Patric Pfeiffer
Place of birth
Pfeiffer was born in Germany, Hamburg. Born on August 20, 1999, he is a few weeks away from his 23rd birthday.
He began his career at Hamburg-based lower-division side Bramfelder SV before later joining Hamburger in 2013.
After 5 years at the youth side, he was promoted to Hamburger's reserve side. Pfeiffer was promoted to the first team in 2019 but did not make any appearance as Hamburger cashed in on him.
He left to join Bundesliga's 2 sides, Darmstadt. Last season, he made a total of 32 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing one assist.
He played for Germany at the U-17 and U-18 levels.
Strengths
Imposing figure - One of Pfeiffer's biggest assets is his physique. He is gallant, standing 6'5 tall. He uses it to his advantage, which aids him to dominate attackers in duels, both aerial and ground.
Discipline - Pfeiffer has a good discipline record. In his 32 games for Darmstadt last season he saw just 6 yellow cards. He has not been red-carded in his professional career.
Positioning - He has a good sense of positioning which helps him make interceptions, blocks and timely tackles.
Ball-playing abilities - At Darmstadt he is the Leonardo Bonucci of the team, orchestrating play from deep with his long and short passes, dominantly long. Due to his ball carrying and confidence on the ball, he is able to progress play and pick a pass in tight spaces.
Weaknesses
Pace - The only downside of Pfeiffer's game is his lack of pace. Due to his lack of pace, he always makes sure he is in a good position in order not to be outrun and also makes him get contact on the ball.
Playing style
Patric Pfeiffer plays as the right-sided centre-back in Darmstadts' 3-back system. His role aside from the core duty as a defender is to begin the team ball progression.
If the team plays out from the back, he is the first option and dictates the flow with his passing. He loves to get involved in the team's build-up either switching play or breaking the first line of defence.
When defending, he prefers to be the last man. Because he reads the game well, he hardly steps out of his position. He always wants to provide the team with cover when the defence loses their shape.
With his age and his development, he could be a good addition to the Black Stars.
EE/KPE
Darmstadt 98 defender, Patric Pfeiffer