From problem child to model pro: HSV's biggest riser this summer | OneFootball

Rayan Philippe has had a complicated first year at HSV. After a strong start, the Frenchman lost more and more influence in the second half of the season and by the end was almost exclusively on the bench.

In preparation for the 2026/27 season, however, the 25-year-old now looks like a changed man. More than that: at the moment, he is without any doubt one of the biggest winners of the summer. That was also evident in the 2:2 draw against Champions League side OSC Lille. Philippe scored in the 98th minute with a directly converted free kick to make it 1:1 at the time, also impressed with his high activity level, and once again linked up strikingly well with Patson Daka. He almost even added another goal to make it 3:1.

The striker is also quite clearly benefiting from his changed role. In Merlin Polzin’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system, Philippe is used much more centrally than last season, when he mostly played on the right wing. Just a few days ago, the former Braunschweig player told the club’s in-house media that the many combination options in central areas particularly suit him. The previous friendlies seem to prove him right.

Photo: IMAGO

HSV star Philippe: “He’s always the first one there”

That there is far more behind this rise in form than just a positional adjustment was now hinted at by captain Nicolai Remberg. “He’s become a bit more active again when it comes to the gym. He’s always very, very diligent there,” the midfielder reported after the match against Lille. “At times, maybe he wasn’t sticking to his program quite the way he usually does.” But Philippe has now clearly stepped it up again. “He’s always the first one there now. He has definitely taken a step forward,” said Remberg.

Polzin was also pleased with his player’s development. The HSV coach described Philippe as an “absolute model professional” and explicitly praised his ambition. “He has set himself a lot of goals. That says a lot about his character.” He said he was especially delighted by the spectacular free-kick goal. “I think the only word I said after the goal was ‘beautiful’ three times in a row,” Polzin revealed.

Philippe himself declined interviews after the match despite the club officials’ explicit wish for him to speak. For now, though, his performances are speaking loudly enough for him.

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