St. Pauli honors Ricky-Jade Jones’ successful Bundesliga debut at 23

Ricky Jade Jones is receiving accolades from St. Pauli after officially ending their dismal nine-match winless streak. The English striker made his highly anticipated Bundesliga debut during the match against 1. FC Köln, scoring his first goal in less than 30 minutes.

The highly touted summer signing was expected to contribute to the Bundesliga's riveting “top speedster” contest. Last season, Gerrit Holtmann and Sirlord Conteh continually broke the record for the fastest Bundesliga player.

Jones holds the record as the fastest player globally, clocked at 37.6 km/hr during a 2024 match in the English third division. However, Bundesliga fans have yet to witness him compete in the domestic speed race.

His recovery from offseason shoulder surgery delayed his debut. A promising pre-season was cut short, adding to the anticipation for his return, and now that he is back, hope is abound among the Kiezkicker supporters.

“Ricky brought a dynamic and a different energy to the game,” said sporting director Bornemann. “changing the fact that the game appeared effectively over.“

“To suffer an injury like that after moving to a new country was tough on him,” commented St. Pauli captain Jackson Irvine, who has also recently returned from injury. “He worked really hard on his comeback and then had to wait for a few more games. I’m really happy for Ricky.“

“We finally managed to stop the losing streak,” Jones exclaimed. “It gives us a good feeling for the upcoming games, in which we want more results. I’m overjoyed that I was able to help the team with my goal.”

Bundesliga journalists are eager to see Jones pursue Sirlord Conteh’s speed record.

GGFN | Peter Weis