Dirk Hebel


Dirk Josef Hebel is a retired German professional football midfielder, who is currently an agent and a youth coach. As a player, he played professionally in Germany, Turkey and England and is probably best remembered for his spell with Brentford, with whom he won the 1998–99 Third Division championship.

Playing career

1. FC Köln

Hebel began his career at hometown club 1. FC Köln.

Bursaspor

Hebel moved to Turkey to join 1. Lig club Bursaspor in January 1997. Hebel made 14 appearances and scored one goal during the 1996–97 season and helped the Green Crocodiles to a fifth-place finish in the league. One Turkish newspaper voted him the 1996–97 1. Lig Player Of The Season. Hebel left the club in the summer of 1997.

Tranmere Rovers

After interest from Grasshoppers Zürich, Southampton and a failed trial at Norwich City, Hebel joined English First Division club Tranmere Rovers on 3 September 1997. He failed to make an appearance for the first team during the 1997–98 season, but was a regular for the reserves and departed the club in May 1998. Looking back in 2005 on his lack of appearances for Tranmere, Hebel said "I think it was a problem of the way I play football, which didn't compare to the way our coach Aldo wanted me to play. It is difficult to change a style you played for 20 years of your life".

Brentford

Hebel signed for Third Division club Brentford on a free transfer on 25 August 1998. He made regular appearances until Boxing Day 1998 and made his final appearance for the club in a 3–1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion before injury ended his season. Hebel made 19 appearances during the 1998–99 season. Despite not making any appearances in the second half of the campaign, he qualified for a Third Division winners' medal. A family situation saw Hebel turn down a new contract in 1999, in order to return to Germany.

Bonner SC

Hebel signed for Oberliga Nordrhein club Bonner SC in the summer of 1999. He made 19 appearances during the 1999–00 season and scored one goal. He left the club in the summer of 2000.

SCB Preußen Köln

Hebel joined Oberliga Nordrhein club SCB Preußen Köln in the summer of 2000. Hebel made 26 appearances and scored five goals during the 2000–01 season, helping the club to a second-place finish behind Bayer Leverkusen II.

Later career

Hebel wound down his career with spells at VfL Köln 99, FC Junkersdorf and SF Troisdorf, before retiring in 2005. During the 2003–04 season, he helped SF Troisdorf win promotion to the Verbandsliga Mittelrhein.

Post-retirement

While a player for FC Junkersdorf, Hebel held the role of Director of Football. In 2002, Hebel became a FIFA-registered agent and set up the Fussballmarkt agency with friend Dominik Kaesberg and lawyer Nortbert Nasse. He has represented players such as Mario Götze, Sunday Oliseh, Goran Sablić and Patrick Weiser. In 2018, Hebel joined SC Fortuna Köln as an U14 coach.

Personal life

Hebel is married to Nicole and has two sons named Darren and Liam.

Honours

Brentford
SF Troisdorf