Draxler turning heads

In the fourth of a five-part series on talented youngsters who have gone largely unnoticed, sportsnet.ca focuses on Julian Draxler.

Julian Draxler is looking more and more like the real deal for Schalke.

He made his debut as a 17-year-old, coming off the bench at home to Hamburg last January, to become the fourth youngest player to compete in a Bundesliga match. Three days later Schalke signed their midfield prodigy to a contract until 2014.

Draxler is relatively unknown outside of Germany, but inside the country he is highly regarded as yet another wunderkind. From the looks of it, Schalke has a true talent in their possession.

In only his third match for the Gelsenkirchen based club, Draxler blew the roof off the Veltins Arena four minutes after entering their German Cup match against Nuremberg. A thunderous shot in the 119th minute announced his arrival on the grand stage and put Die Knappen (the miners) through to the semifinals, gaining him instant popularity with the club’s supporters. The strike was first rate and the midfielder was serenaded off the pitch by the home crowd.

Over two months later Draxler scored his first goal in the league away to St. Pauli. This time he displayed a never say die attitude to attack the near post and connect on a last ditch cross by Jefferson Farfan. It is the maturity shown on the pitch considering his lack of experience which is quite remarkable.

In the Cup final last season Draxler once again showcased his abilities with another jaw-dropping strike to open the scoring in what was to be a 5-0 mauling of Duisburg. A great first touch turned his marker and a fantastic half-volley finished off proceedings -- a definite candidate for goal of the season and worthy of some recognition.

Most of his appearances came off the bench, 24 in total last term. Walking through the tunnel at Old Trafford probably sits high on his list of achievements, as he was part of the starting 11 to take on the English champions in the second leg of the Champions League semifinal. The team overachieved in Europe but underachieved dramatically on the domestic front, finishing four points off the drop in 14th place. Regardless of the club's disastrous campaign, the midfielder can look back and be proud of his accomplishments.

Changes were made in the off-season that saw Schalke go through a complete transformation, and they are currently in a three-way tie with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund for top spot in the Bundesliga. Draxler has seen a significant increase in minutes and is virtually a regular in the side.

Huub Stevens is a tactically astute coach and a huge reason why the club is punching above their weight class after taking over from Felix Magath. The team now plays an entertaining brand of football with quick one-touch passing which opened the door for Draxler to become a mainstay in the squad, as it compliments his style of play. The midfielder is unpredictable with the ball at his feet and lethal if given even an inch of room to shoot.

It is difficult to find a flaw other than his slender frame. Despite his boyish size you will never see him quit on a play, always attacking the net with ferocious intent. Even in the tightest of quarters Draxler manages to squeeze through and find the space needed to threaten the opposition’s goal. He makes it look effortless at times, with great vision and fantastic footwork as his main weapons of trade.

Two weeks ago the midfielder enjoyed his most productive game in a win at home to Stuttgart. With Schalke up by a goal, Draxler provided an exquisite cross from the corner flag that was headed in by Kyriakos Papadopoulos. It was a wonderfully hit ball. Ten minutes from time the youngster finished off an almost Barcelona-like tiki-taka run of play that put the match out of reach. It is definitely worth a look (skip to 1:55). His technique and dribbling ability is sublime.

Originally from the city of Gladbeck, Draxler has called Gelsenkirchen home since joining the academy as an eight year old. The teenager has successfully climbed the youth ranks and cracked the first team when presented with the opportunity. The quick jump did come at a price. Draxler made waves in Germany when he decided to drop out of high school to concentrate on his football. At present time it seems like the right move but in professional sports your fortunes can change in the blink of an eye.

The next step is the national team and getting the attention of manager Joachim Low, a task that should not be too difficult considering his attack-minded style. Germany has a plethora of young creative midfielders at their disposal but Draxler possess a star quality that is tough to overlook. He just needs to build-up his physique in order to outmuscle defenders, although that will come with age and a little extra time in the gym. At the moment his pace, tricky feet and accuracy on the ball allows him to avoid any physicality.

The vultures are slowly starting to circle around the Veltins Arena. Schalke will have a fight on their hands to keep him at the club in the next couple of years. Contracts mean nothing in football nowadays, but Draxler is smart enough to realize time is still needed to fully develop. With the club fighting for the title and the prospect of Champions League football a distinct possibility next season, a move away is unlikely.

The German production line continues to churn out quality midfielders in abundance. We've seen the likes of Mesut Ozil, Mario Gotze and more recently Marco Reus step into the spotlight. Draxler is the next name on that list.

Thomas Michalakos is a former associate producer with Sportsnet's Soccercentral and writes the weekly blog Soccerholic365. Follow Thomas on Twitter.