Goalkeeper Tjark Ernst joins Feyenoord

'It is wonderful to now be able to call myself a Feyenoord player,' says Ernst. 'It felt right from the very first conversations. The club have a lot of ambition and that suits me. After three years in the 2. Bundesliga, I feel ready for a move like this. For the first time outside Germany, joining a big club who play European football every year and will compete in the Champions League again next season.'

'I cannot wait to take my place between the posts at De Kuip. I know that European matches in particular are experienced very intensely, something Feyenoord are known for beyond the Netherlands as well. I am therefore really looking forward to making such an entrance at De Kuip by helicopter on Saturday and meeting the supporters for the first time. It cannot start soon enough for me.'

Football runs in the family for the 1.93-metre-tall Ernst. His father, Thomas Ernst, played as a goalkeeper in the Bundesliga for many years, while his mother, Kerstin Pohlmann, enjoyed several successes as a professional footballer. The talented Ernst joined VfL Bochum’s youth academy at an early age, where he was named among the substitutes for the first team against Bayern Munich at the age of 19.

He did leave Bochum for Hertha BSC in the summer of 2022, where he initially gained regular playing time at a high level for the second team. In the final match of the 2022-2023 season, he made his first start for the first team against VfL Wolfsburg, producing what was described as a promising performance. Ernst, who represented Germany at every youth international level, quickly developed from a promising reserve into the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper following the club’s relegation to the 2. Bundesliga. Having already looked calm and assured between the posts in Berlin for three seasons at a young age, he is now taking the next step.

Ernst will wear the number 1 shirt for Feyenoord during pre-season. Feyenoord point out that squad numbers may still change before the start of the season, when the final allocation will be determined.