From Houston to Dortmund: The Rise of Cole Campbell and His Wing Wizardry

Once described as “a game-changer in our U19 team. His pace, dribbling, finishing and mentality are qualities that make him special” by Borussia Dortmund managing director (and former player), Lars Ricken, US-born teenager, Cole Campbell is certainly one to watch.

The 19-year-old, born in Houston, Texas is regarded highly as one for the future by club officials and already has considerable pedigree. Having joined the Atalanta FC youth academy from an early age, he learned the ropes quickly and this saw him then move to Icelandic club, FH Hafnarfjörður in 2020 where he made his senior debut as a 15-year-old. In doing so, he became the club’s second ever youngest player.

Having joined Borussia Dortmund in 2022, he has excelled in the youth sides, scoring 19 goals and registering 20 assists at both Under 17 and Under 19 level. His form has seen him flourish for both the Iceland (through his mother) and latterly USA (due to his father) youth teams and is tipped for big things on the international stage.

Explosive Potential To Shine On The Big Stage

While Campbell is undoubtedly blessed with talent, arguably his biggest trait is his pace. In one recent Bundesliga cameo appearance, he hit a recorded speed of 36km/h which can prove to be a valuable asset.

However, he also combines this with great balance and dribbling ability; as such, he can easily go past opponents and cut inside, while his close control is a considerable characteristic.

What also stands out about Campbell is that for such a young age, he shows great composure in one-on-one situations; particularly his finishing ability.

Due to his left-foot dominance, it is on the right hand side of attacking midfield where he is suited, so that he can cut inside, though he has also shown he is adept on the left and as a central attacking midfielder.

Everything so far in his short career indicates that he can be a major success and he certainly has the traits to achieve this.  What will be interesting is how quickly he is integrated into the first team. With the likes’ of Julien Duranville progressing at a similar rate and arguably ahead of him currently, it remains to be seen how much his contribution will be valued.

However, what is likely is that he will be integrated into the side at some point over the next couple of years, especially when you consider his ability and significant potential.

A Saleable Asset Or One Club Hero?

As is often the case, at Dortmund, the club usually sells one talented youngster at least every two years and reinvest a low fee in another youngster with potential to keep the cycle going. Currently, the club has a great crop of youngsters who could represent considerable revenue over the next few years, though it will remain to be seen whether Campbell is one of those.

Having earned comparisons to former club legend Marco Reus, it is unlikely that he will play for Dortmund as long as the German did, however, for now at least, he is certainly in the right place to continue his development.