da cassino： The 23-year-old midfielder is making his mark in the Bundesliga and has earned his first senior call-up for friendlies against Germany and Ghana

da poker： There aren't many firsts left in this wild world of soccer, especially for clubs with more than 100 years of history behind them. So you have to pardon Heidenheim for being so damn excited about what's happening with their young star, Lennard Maloney.

If Maloney sets foot on the pitch for the U.S. men's national team's upcoming matches against Germany or Ghana, he'll become the first-ever player representing Heidenheim to play in a senior international match. It's a wild fact. The first EVER. For a club formed in 1846, it's an unfathomable thought.

Robert Strauss, a longtime player and the current head of the sporting department, hailed Maloney's callup as a "very special" moment for everyone involved with the club.

It's also, of course, a special moment for Maloney, a player who has certainly ground his way into the USMNT picture. He also steps into the national team at a point where Gregg Berhalter's side may very well need a player of his profile; a hardworking, tenacious midfielder that sits at or near the top of the Bundesliga in several metrics, Maloney is a breakout star who could very well answer some pressing questions in the USMNT midfield.

But who is Maloney, the up-and-comer with an entire German club cheering him on, and the potential USMNT answer to the great Tyler Adams question in the center of the field?

GettyWhere it all began

It's a familiar story to many that have followed the USMNT for the last decade or two. Maloney is the son of an American Air Force veteran and a Germany mother, born and raised in Berlin. Several USMNT mainstays have taken similar paths to the national team, although few have had the journey that Maloney has had on the club level.

Maloney originally joined Hertha Berlin's academy as a teenager in 2012, working his way up the ranks at the club. At age 18, he was handed his 2. Bundesliga debut, but it would turn out to be his only senior appearance for his hometown club.

After a loan to Chemintzer FC in 2019-20, Maloney joined Borussia Dortmund II in August of 2020. It was a big move, of course, joining a powerhouse like Dortmund and, at certain points, it seemed that it could work out for the young midfielder.

He made his Bundesliga debut for the club in October 2021, coming on as a late sub in a win over Arminia Bielefeld, and went on to feature against the same opponent later that season as as a substitute once again. However, towards the end of the season, Maloney decided to join Heidenheim, moving to the 2. Bundesliga club on a free transfer that summer.

AdvertisementGettyThe big break

Before getting into Maloney's history with Heidenheim, we have to get into the history of Heidenheim.

Dating back nearly 200 years, it's one that includes plenty of mergers and splits and changes, ultimately leading to the version of the club we know today.

Virtually all of that history was spent in the lower levels of German soccer, and it's only recently that the club has been relevant in any way at a high level. Until 2010, the club had never been as high as the third division of the German game.

By the time Maloney joined in 2022, the club was in the 2. Bundesliga. They'd finished sixth the year before, making it four-straight seasons with a top-eight finish. It was a club pushing for a historic promotion, but one that just couldn't quite get there.

That is, until the 2022-23 season. With Maloney featuring 33 times in league play, Heidenheim won the 2. Bundesliga, earning a historic promotion to the top flight. As a result, Maloney would get the chance to ply his trade in the Bundesliga consistently and, thus far, he's taken the challenge.

GettyHow it's going

It's safe to say that Maloney has adjusted well to life in the Bundesliga.

As the club sits midtable with seven points through as many games, Maloney has been a mainstay for the team in the center of the field. He's featured in each of those seven games while also scoring a goal in the club's first DFB-Pokal match, an 8-0 win over Rostocker FC.

Maloney's engine in the middle of the field has been key to Heidenheim's quick rise in the Bundesliga, and it's also now earned him the attention of the USMNT, who called the 23-year-old midfielder up for his first senior camp ahead of October friendlies against Germany and Ghana.

“As a player who came from the third league, Lenny immediately developed into a top performer for us last season and was an important one, especially due to his presence and mentality on the pitch factor in our promotion season," Strauss said of Maloney's call-up.

"After convincing performances in our first Bundesliga games, this national team nomination is now the reward he deserves. Never before in our history has an FCH professional matured into a senior national player. That’s another reason why Lenny’s nomination for our FCH is something very special!”

Maloney himself added: “Being able to play for the USA senior national team at some point has been a big dream of mine ever since I started playing football. I’m happy to have now come a big step closer to this dream. The fact that the upcoming international matches are against Germany is of course a very special highlight!”

GettyBiggest strengths

Maloney's biggest attribute is his engine, as he finds himself atop the Bundesliga in several key metrics.

He leads the notoriously high-energy Bundesliga in distance covered, as his ability to cover massive amounts of ground make him a legitimate midfield wrecking ball. He's already travelled 89. 8 kilometers in the club's seven games, two more than Eintracht Frankfurt's Ellyes Skhiri in second and 4.8 more than Julian Weigl of Borussia Monchengladbach in third.

Maloney also ranks highly in interceptions, clearances and aerial duels won, with his 6'2 frame allowing him to shut down play in the midfield.

“With Lenny, first off he has the most distance covered in the Bundesliga as a defensive midfielder,” USMNT head coach Berhalter said of the Heidenheim star. “But what really attracted the staff to him is how he plays the game — really with a lot of emotion and passion. You see him clapping for his teammates, you see him going into tackles. He’s a really committed player, a really team-oriented player and we’re excited to have him in camp and to see what he can do.”