Austria Vienna has bolstered its roster with Julian Hettwer. For the former youth national team player, this marks his first stint abroad.
The 23-year-old Hettwer joins the “Veilchen” in Vienna-Favoriten on a free transfer from Fortuna Düsseldorf, where he has signed a contract through the summer of 2030. FC Augsburg had also previously shown interest in Hettwer.
The forward looks back on a disappointing season. Due to injuries, he made only seven appearances in the 2. Bundesliga and ultimately had to accept relegation to the 3. Liga with Fortuna Düsseldorf.
“Lots of dynamism and pace”
Austria has high hopes for the former striker prospect. “Julian Hettwer fits the exact profile we were looking for in a striker,” says sporting director Tomas Zorn. He brings “a lot of dynamism and pace, is versatile in attack, and has already proven his goal-scoring ability on multiple occasions.” This is particularly evident in the 3. Liga, where he has scored 28 goals in a total of 122 matches.
A native of Bochum, he came up through the youth academies of VfL and FC Schalke 04; from the age of 15, he was trained at MSV Duisburg. There, Hettwer drew attention with strong performances—Borussia Dortmund pounced and brought the then-U-19 national team player into their second team in 2023. For BVB, Hettwer played 62 games in the 3. Liga (21 goals, 16 assists) before moving to Fortuna Düsseldorf last summer.
Meniscus injury sets Hettwer back
However, a meniscus injury sidelined Hettwer early on, limiting him to just a few appearances for F95. Now fully recovered, he’s ready to make a fresh start in Vienna. “We want to have a successful season together, and I want to actively contribute and play my part by getting as much playing time as possible,” he said during his presentation in the white-and-purple jersey.
At Austria, which finished fourth in the Austrian championship round last season, international matches also await Hettwer. In mid-July, the historic club will enter the second qualifying round of the Conference League. Their opponent will be either FK Decic Tuzi from Montenegro or FK Liepaja from Latvia.