From Portsmouth to German title hero: Former Sunderland loanee making waves after unspectacular Fratton stay
He went from Pompey back to Sunderland and then on to Aberdeen, before ending his season in spectacular fashion in 2. Bundesliga.
His time at Pompey yielded two goal contributions from a solid yet largely unexceptional Fratton stay.
Sunderland loanee Adil Aouchiche showed quality and honest endeavour to contribute to a successful run to Championship survival.
Aouchiche success with German big guns Schalke after being identified as perfect fit
Yet, the Algerian’s displays at PO4 failed to convince the Blues that a bid to make his temporary stay permanent was worth pursuing last summer.
That opened the door to an unlikely pathway for the 23-year-old this term, culminating in Aouchiche firing German powerhouses FC Schalke 04 to title glory.
Aberdeen and the Scottish Premier League offered the attacking talent a pathway to regular football this term, with the former Paris St Germain man agreeing a season-long loan move to Pittodrie last July.
Aouchiche scored three times in 20 league appearances for the Dons, but his impressive numbers in other areas highlighted him to Schalke as they sought to bolster their title charge in the January window.
Using a customised platform with a database of 230,000 players, it was the winger who chimed perfectly with Schalke’s high-intensity brand of football.
Pompey boss John Mousinho often highlighted how Aouchiche’s pressing numbers were ‘off the chart’ last season, with Schalke affording him a near-perfect 99 per cent score when it came to aligning with their work ethic and aggressive press.
That prompted a permanent move to Gelsenkirchen which has spectacularly paid off, as Aouchiche bagged three goals and two assists from his side’s final five games.
That included hitting the winner against Fortuna Dusseldorf last month as Schalke gained promotion from 2. Bundesliga, being confirmed as champions the following day.
Former Plymouth boss Miron Muslic’s team brought the curtain down on the season with a 1-0 win over Eintracht Braunschweig - with that man Aouchiche once again bagging the only goal of the game in front of a home crowd of 61,320.
Now the former Pompey man will get his chance to show his worth at the highest level in Germany next season.
With his deal running until next year and Schalke holding a two-year option to extend his stay, Aouchiche looks well set to fulfil his ambition of arriving in a ‘place where I feel comfortable with my family’.