Team

Damion Downs: Touchdown at the Volksparkstadion

Striker Damion Downs is the newest face within the HSV squad. The 21-year-old spoke to us ahead of a potential home debut at the weekend about how life with the Rothosen has started, why he chose HSV and the game against Gladbach.

It was an oval-shaped ball, rather than a round one, that Damion Downs grew up playing with. Despite being born in Werneck, the striker spent his early years living in the USA and played American football while in Texas. The son of a German mother and American father, Downs only swapped the “pigskin” for a football after moving back to Germany at the age of seven.

“There were hardly any opportunities to play American football where I lived in Germany. The German side of my family is also football-mad, which is how I found my way into the sport. My older half-brother played, then I started as well, which is how I discovered my love for football,” said the 21-year-old.

Downs doesn’t remember too much about his time in the USA, but the memories he does have he describes as “extremely beautiful”. His first challenge upon returning to Germany was to get to grips with the language, as up until then he only spoke English. “I had extra German lessons because I didn’t understand anything in the normal lessons, so nothing made sense,” said the striker.

His journey in the world of football started at DJK Schwebenried/Schwemmelsbach, before going on to play youth football for 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 and FC Ingolstadt 04 and later for the 1. FC Köln academy. The prolific striker joined Köln in summer 2020 and worked his way up through the U17 and U19 sides, before breaking into the first team and making his Bundesliga debut in September 2023. His first two top-flight goals came towards the end of that season. He earned himself a move to English Championship side Southampton FC in summer 2025, and now finds himself at HSV, with the Rothosen bringing the USA international (6 caps) in on a six-month loan deal.

Looking forward to his first game at the Volksparkstadion

“I had really good conversations with the coaching staff and Claus Costa, as well as with Fabio Baldé, who I already knew and who I spoke to a lot,” said Downs about his decision to join HSV. Just over a week has passed since his move and he already feels “very comfortable” in the team: “The guys are really cool, and I get along with everyone.” The 1.92m-tall striker is now just hoping to get as much game time as possible, having already been given a 78-minute run-out in the 2-1 defeat to Freiburg just three days after he signed.

Downs could have made his home debut against Bayer 04 Leverkusen, but the match was called off shortly before kick-off. He may not have too much longer to wait, though, as Borussia Mönchengladbach are set to make the trip to the Volksparkstadion on Saturday (15:30 CET). The Foals are a special opponent for Downs, not just because of his ties to rival side 1. FC Köln, but also because his first Bundesliga goal came against Gladbach. Matchday 25 of the 2023/24 season saw Downs come on as a substitute to net the 79th-minute equaliser in a 3-3 draw between Köln and Gladbach.

“The atmosphere of the Volksparkstadion is just crazy. Back then, it felt like you were playing against a wall.”

Almost exactly a year since his first – and so far only – Volksparkstadion experience, Downs is set to make his return. He last came to Hamburg on matchday 18 of the 2024/25 season, as his Köln side lost 1-0 thanks to a Ransford Königsdörffer rebound from a penalty. “The atmosphere of the Volksparkstadion is just crazy. Back then, it felt like you were playing against a wall. Now I’m just looking forward to experiencing it as a HSV player and having that atmosphere behind me,” said Downs.

“I think it’ll be a good, interesting game. If we bring our qualities out onto the pitch, then we have a good chance of taking all three points,” said Downs as he looks ahead to the upcoming game against Gladbach. The 21-year-old will be hoping he gets the chance to make his own personal “touchdown” at the Volksparkstadion in the form of his home debut.