Mats Köhlert

Club career Early years Köhlert was born on 2 May 1998 in Hamburg and grew up in Norderstedt, just north of the city. He played youth football for SC Sperber Hamburg and Eintracht Norderstedt, and in the youth ranks of FC St. Pauli, before joining the academy of Hamburger SV in 2013.

Hamburger SV After joining the academy in 2013, Köhlert progressed through Hamburg's youth teams, and in February 2016—having already trained with the first team during international breaks—signed his first professional contract, which ran until 30 June 2019.

From the 2016–17 season, Köhlert played for the reserve team in the fourth-tier Regionalliga Nord. He returned from a three-month injury in October 2017, and in January 2018 trained on trial with Austrian top-flight club Admira Wacker, though no transfer followed. He established himself on the right wing during the 2018–19 season, scoring four of his five reserve goals that season, and in March 2019 was called up to the first-team squad by manager Hannes Wolf.

Willem II On 1 July 2019, Köhlert signed with Eredivisie club Willem II following the expiration of his contract with Hamburger SV. At the time, the club's technical director was former Netherlands international and 2010 FIFA World Cup runner-up Joris Mathijsen, who had also played professionally for Hamburger SV.

In Europe, Willem II defeated Progrès Niederkorn of Luxembourg in the second qualifying round, but were eliminated in the third round following a 4–0 home defeat to Rangers. In the 2020–21 Eredivisie season, Köhlert made 32 appearances, though only 15 as a starter.

Heerenveen On 21 June 2022, Köhlert signed a three-year contract with Heerenveen. Operating primarily as a left-back or left wing-back, he quickly established himself as a regular starter and a key component in both defensive organisation and attacking transitions.

In the 2024–25 campaign, Köhlert delivered his most productive season at the club. He created 62 chances and completed 70 successful crosses, reflecting a significant contribution to Heerenveen's attacking phase. Defensively, he recorded 40 interceptions, 37 successful tackles, and won 122 duels over the course of the league season, highlighting his two-way effectiveness.

Köhlert's performances were recognised by the club and supporters alike, as he was named SC Heerenveen Player of the Year for the 2024–25 season. He joined on a free transfer from Heerenveen, where he had been named the club's player of the season, and was brought in as an attacking left-back. A regular starter, he made 21 league appearances during the season, scoring no goals and providing two assists.

International career In 2015, Köhlert was included in the Germany U17 national team for the 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Bulgaria. He made four appearances in the tournament, with the team managing to reach the final before losing 4–1 to France. However, the team still managed to qualify for the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, with Köhlert subsequently included in Germany's squad. He made one appearance in the tournament, Germany's opening match against the Netherlands, which finished as a 4–1 loss. The team were eliminated in the group stage of the tournament. In 2008, he played an uncredited role as a child in the film . In 2009, he appeared as Philipp in the episode "Schwanenmord" of the television series Die Pfefferkörner. Later that year, he played the role of Klein Brakelmann in the episode "Goldene Erinnerungen" of the television series Neues aus Büttenwarder. Köhlert played his first major role at the side of Maria Furtwängler as Uwe in the 2011 television film Schicksalsjahre. In the same year, he took part in the episode "Borowski und der coole Hund" of the German police procedural Tatort.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2008 Child Uncredited

Television Year Title Role Notes 2009 Die Pfefferkörner Philipp Episode: "Schwanenmord" Neues aus Büttenwarder Klein Brakelmann Episode: "Goldene Erinnerungen" 2011 Uwe Television film Tatort Episode: ""

Personal life Köhlert's father, Dirk Köhlert, was also a footballer, who played for Holstein Kiel and SC Norderstedt in the Regionalliga Nord, then the third tier of German football. He completed his Abitur at the Gymnasium Heidberg in 2016.

Honours Individual Eredivisie Team of the Month: October 2022, August 2024