Lukas Podolski's Understudy Mark Uth Is Taking Eredivisie by Storm

Once Lukas Podolski's understudy at Koln, Mark Uth is now an early contender to become Heerenveen's third Eredivisie top scorer in the past four seasons. Who is this unknown German? 

Nation	Position	Age	Height	Weight
Germany	CF	23	6'1"	161 lbs

Credit: FC-Koeln.de.

Uth was a prolific marksman at youth level, scoring 24 goals in 26 games for the Koln U19s at 0.92 goals per game.

Inevitably, the question was asked: "Is Uth the new Podolski?"

A gunner in front of goal, Podolski was Koln's most talented player since 1990 FIFA World Cup-winning West German Pierre Littbarski. A once-in-a-generation talent, Podolski was expected to star at Bayern Munich but packed it in after three frustrating seasons.

"It was hard for me, you don't play a lot of matches [at Bayern]," Podolski said, per Matt Lawton at the Daily Mail. "I knew I could play better for Bayern, but I left and went back to Koln because football for me is fun."

"He [Podolski] made it from the youth team all the way to the national squad," Uth said, per Olivia Fritz at Deutsche Welle. "Every young player [at Koln] wants that for himself."

Podolski's return to Koln complicated Uth's path to the first team. 

Elevated to Koln II—the reserve team—Uth's scoring rate drastically dipped to 0.39 (16 goals in 41 games). 

The 0.53 goals per game differential from U19s to reserve level indicated Uth was unlikely to make the step up to Bundesliga level. 

Sitting on the bench with eccentric Japanese centre-back Tomoaki Makino, Uth watched on as Podolski scored twice in Koln's 3-0 win over Augsburg in 2011.

It was the closest Uth got to playing a Bundesliga game. Like Makino, Uth reluctantly came to terms that he was not in Koln's plans as a starter. 

Uth's dreams of emulating Podolski at Koln were dashed.

Credit: Kicker.de.

However, then-Heerenveen technical director Johan Hansma believed in Uth.

"He [Uth] is a creative player who has an eye for something special," Hansma said, per Jeremy Lim at Goal. "[He] can make goals just as well as scoring them."

Here is a notional pitch Hansma might have delivered to Uth: "You can be another Ruud van Nistelrooy, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar or Bas Dost, three players whose careers were resurrected by Heerenveen."

Van Nistelrooy, a late bloomer at Den Bosch, showed world-class ability at Heerenveen, as witnessed by Darren Ferguson, who had crossed paths with the centre-forward during trials at the Eredivisie club.

Returning to England, Darren implored his father, Sir Alex Ferguson—then Manchester United manager—to sign Van Nistelrooy [1], per Henry Winter at The Telegraph.

Huntelaar failed to make the grade at PSV Eindhoven, used AGOVV Apeldoorn as a stepping stone, then scored goals at a Willy van der Kuijlen-esque rate for Heerenveen.

Dost developed late at Emmen, showed promise at Heracles Almelo, then bloomed for Heerenveen, becoming the 2012 Eredivisie top scorer.

When Uth signed on the dotted line, he would not have envisioned going down a Rob Friend-like path, per Steve Bottjer at Red Nation:

"

Friend was transferred to SC Heerenveen of Holland's Eredivisie.

After tallying five goals in nineteen games, he was loaned out to Heracles Almelo who had just regained promotion into the Dutch top flight.

Despite helping them retain their status in the league, his services were no longer needed.

"

Friend's time at Heerenveen coincided with Afonso Alves, who once scored seven goals in a league game, which paved a €63,688/£50,000 a week move to Middlesbrough.

Alfred Finnbogason was to Uth what Alves was to Friend.

Finnbogason, an ambitious Icelandic centre-forward hoping to emulate Eidur Gudjohnsen's career, scored 53 times in two Eredivisie seasons for Heerenveen.

Blocked by Finnbogason, Uth was loaned out to Heracles, a la Friend.

A hat-trick in Heracles' 4-1 win over Waalwijk was the highlight of Uth's season. 

Turning away from Waalwijk centre-back Kenny van Hoevelen, Uth slotted the ball near post with his left foot.

Fooled by Heracles substitute Simon Cziommer's shot-turned-pass, Waalwijk's defence watched on hopelessly as an unmarked Uth finished with his right foot. 

Uth completed his perfect hat-trick after he headed home a rebound caused by Waalwijk goalkeeper Jan Seda's errant punch.

It was a career-defining game because it gave Uth the confidence and the self-belief that he was good enough at this level. 

He finished the 2013-14 Eredivisie season as Heracles' second top scorer (eight goals) behind inverted left-winger Bryan Linssen (11 goals).

After Finnbogason led the Eredivisie in scoring, Heerenveen sold him to Real Sociedad for €8/£6.3 million.

This was the golden opportunity Uth had been waiting for. 

Thanking the Heerenveen fans while clasping a bouquet of sunflowers, relief was written all over Uth's face as he soaked in the adulation of scoring a hat-trick in Heerenveen's 3-1 win over Utrecht.

Uth had finally become a star. 

Credit: FrieschDagblad.nl.

League Only 14-15	Goals/Games	Goals Per Game	Shots Per Goal	Shots Per Game
Alexander Meier	4/6	0.67	4	2.7
Elias Kachunga	3/7	0.43	6	2.6
Julian Schieber	3/4	0.75	4.3	2.6
Karim Bellarabi	3/7	0.43	8.7	3.7
Mario Gotze	4/6	0.67	3.8	2.5
Mark Uth	5/8	0.63	5.4	3.4
Max Kruse	3/5	0.60	4.7	2.8
Moritz Stoppelkamp	3/7	0.43	6	2.6

It was not a one-off game as Germany's top scorer in league play does not play in Germany. 

Stepping out of Podolski's shadow, Uth is on course to top the Eredivisie's scoring charts.

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[1] Van Nistelrooy transferred to PSV Eindhoven, scored 62 goals in 67 games, then signed for United in a then-British record transfer fee of €24.2/£19 million in 2001.

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