BVB: Kicker names this player the winner of the season | OneFootball

BVB did not win any titles in the 2025/26 season – as has so often been the case in recent years. On top of that, they exited both cup competitions far too early by their own standards. Even so, Borussia Dortmund still had a successful season overall, collecting 73 points in the Bundesliga – their highest total since 2018/19. One of the players most responsible for that has now been named BVB’s winner of the season by kicker.

How impressive this winner’s tally of goal contributions is, despite not scoring a single goal himself in all three competitions, was already discussed here. Julian Ryerson collected no fewer than fifteen goal contributions, making him the third-most successful player in creating goals, behind two Bayern Munich attackers.

His improved quality in attacking play has also not gone unnoticed by kicker, which is currently naming one “winner” from each of the eighteen clubs from the completed season.

Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Ryerson: An impressive fifteen BVB goals set up

The reasoning behind why Borussia Dortmund’s choice fell on the Norwegian will not only please him. For a long time, Julian Ryerson mainly stood out for his “fighting spirit, resilience, tackling strength.” He was already doing that at the highest level. But in attacking play, there was still room for improvement.

By now, one can safely count “offensive input” among Ryerson’s strengths as well. This new “quality from set pieces” – which kicker believes he only developed in the winter – gives him a “whole new influence” on Borussia’s game.

That there is still room for improvement despite being named winner of the season is shown by a look at the players with the best ratings in kicker’s eyes this season. Within BVB, Ryerson ranks only sixth here, as the order of BVB’s top performers in 2025/26 according to kicker ratings is as follows:

Former BVB striker Erling Haaland will also be pleased about Julian Ryerson’s new strengths. With the Norwegian national team, both are set to take part in the upcoming 2026 World Cup as starters. There, Norway will face France, Senegal, and Iraq. These opponents should be warned – not just since this award – that Julian Ryerson is excellently capable of supplying, among others, Erling Haaland with dangerous balls.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.