Patson Daka excited to make an impact at Hamburg following Leicester City departure

The 27-year-old Zambian international was released by Leicester City at the end of the previous campaign following their relegation to the English third tier.

Daka began his career with Kafue Celtic and spent time on loan with Nchanga Rangers and Power Dynamos before securing a switch to Red Bull Salzburg feeder team Liefering in 2017.

He subsequently became a part of Salzburg's successful academy setup and went on to establish himself as one of the club's most prolific forwards, scoring 68 goals in 125 competitive appearances.

He won four successive Bundesliga titles and three Austrian Cups and claimed the league's Golden Boot with 27 goals in the 2020-21 campaign, and was voted Austrian Bundesliga Player of the Season.

At Leicester he became the first Zambian to score in the Premier League. Across four seasons in England, he netted 29 goals in 165 appearances.

For Zambia, Daka scored 22 goals in 57 games.

He has now put pen to paper on a one-year deal with a Hamburg side that ended last season in 13th place and in need of more firepower.

Daka told the club's website: "I'm very happy to be here and can't wait to get started.

"I'm a passionate and energetic player whose job is to score goals. I believe I can help the team by doing exactly that.

"I've watched a few HSV matches. It's an exciting team, and I'm delighted to now be part of it. 

"The club's management gave me a very warm welcome and made me feel from the very beginning that this is a family environment. 

"The overall package made perfect sense to me, so I didn't have to think for long. The many positive conversations made the decision an easy one," he added.

"Patson's signing strengthens us at centre-forward and is a good fit for the profile we were looking for. 

"He's a team player and has lots of international experience. We firmly believe Patson will help our team with his qualities," said HSV board member for sport Kathleen Krüger.

Merlin Polzin's team kick off their new season in the DFB Cup first round away at Verl on 24 August.

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