This is Jannik Schuster | OneFootball

Breaking from the family tradition

It was almost a Hollywood story when Jannik Schuster made his competitive debut for our Red Bulls on Sunday and turned the ball narrowly wide of the far post just minutes after coming on. The 15 minutes in which the 19-year-old featured in the home win against SK Rapid Vienna will be ones he always remembers, however. Only two weeks ago, he had been playing for FC Liefering and scoring against the Green and Whites' second-string side, and he now has made the leap to our squad, enjoying a successful debut in the process.

The footballing career of the 1.90-metre defender began in his home region of Tirol, in Mieming, before he moved five years ago to the Red Bull Academy - where he worked his way up from U15 level. In this season's UEFA Youth League campaign, he captained the Young Bulls' twice and made a key contribution as they made it to the semi-finals.

The name Schuster is a familiar one for those who have followed the Austrian winter sports scene, and that is no accident - as Jannik comes from a family of ski jump fanatics. His grandfather Willy started the trend while Jannik's father Werner was also a keen ski jumper and successful coach. Jannik's older brother Jonas has also starred at youth level with several World Championship and Olympic medals and will enter the prestigious Four Hills tournament for the first time next winter. What happened to Jannik?

Jannik Schuster

He did indeed stick with it, progressing all the way through our Salzburg Way to a Bundesliga debut and, surely, beyond.