Vivien Endemann: From DFB Breakthrough to Liverpool's Hope

Vivien Endemann is following in the footsteps of Florian Wirtz. After her breakthrough with the German national team (DFB), the Wolfsburg player is seeking her fortune in Liverpool ahead of the World Cup this summer.

The praise could not have been higher. "Given her strong performance, you didn't really notice that Klara Bühl was missing," enthused national coach Christian Wück when discussing Vivien Endemann, the rising star of German women's football, during the squad nomination.

With two goals and four assists, the 24-year-old has stepped out of the shadow of the injured Bühl and into the spotlight at the start of the World Cup qualifiers. Endemann now aims to build on her stellar performances against Slovenia (5-0) and Norway (4-0) in the upcoming double-header against Austria. However, she had already made headlines before that when FC Liverpool announced her summer transfer from VfL Wolfsburg on Friday.

After three not always easy years at the Mittellandkanal, the winger, born in Lohne, Lower Saxony, is taking the next step into the English Women's Super League, fueled by renewed self-confidence. "I'm having an unbelievable amount of fun being on the pitch, I feel very comfortable. And then," Endemann said with a broad smile to ARD, "the rest comes naturally."

That sounds simpler than her journey actually was. She had to fight for a year to make her DFB comeback – the hard work, including missing the 2025 European Championship, has paid off. With her joy for the game, her dribbling, and her pace, she revitalized the offense upon her return. "She has made an incredible leap in character, has become very mature," Wück noted, referencing her good performances for her club and in the Champions League.

DFB Women, including Vivien Endemann, aim to beat Austria twice

However, this "different Vivien" will not be able to recommend herself in the Champions League anytime soon – Liverpool is currently only tenth in the English league. The allure of proving oneself in Europe's financially strongest and best league was recently highlighted by the transfer of DFB teammate Lea Schüller from FC Bayern to Manchester United. Selina Cerci, who was unsuccessfully courted by Wolfsburg, could also be heading to England.

The move to the island is still a future prospect. On Tuesday (6:15 PM/ZDF) in Nuremberg and four days later in Ried (6:00 PM/sportschau.de), the next six points are crucial in the fight for a direct ticket to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. "We have created a good starting position," Endemann said before the derby matches against the bottom team in Group A4, "but it's important to just keep pushing." For Vivien Endemann, this is a familiar motto.