{{short description|German footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Mike Wunderlich | image = | caption = | full_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1986|3|25}} | birth_place = Cologne, West Germany | height = 1.84 m | position = Attacking midfielder | currentclub = | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2004 | youthclubs1 = Viktoria Köln | youthyears2 = 2004–2005 | youthclubs2 = 1. FC Köln | years1 = 2005–2009 | clubs1 = 1. FC Köln II | caps1 = 94 | goals1 = 26 | years2 = 2009–2010 | clubs2 = Rot-Weiss Essen | caps2 = 46 | goals2 = 12 | years3 = 2010–2012 | clubs3 = FSV Frankfurt | caps3 = 28 | goals3 = 5 | years4 = 2011–2012 | clubs4 = → Viktoria Köln (loan) | caps4 = 34 | goals4 = 32 | years5 = 2012–2021 | clubs5 = Viktoria Köln | caps5 = 263 | goals5 = 140 | years6 = 2021–2022 | clubs6 = 1. FC Kaiserslautern | caps6 = 51 | goals6 = 11 | years7 = 2023 | clubs7 = Viktoria Köln | caps7 = 20 | goals7 = 4 | totalcaps = 536 | totalgoals = 230 }}

'''Mike Wunderlich''' (born 25 March 1986) is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.<ref>{{Kicker.de|mike-wunderlich}}</ref>

==Career==

===Early career=== Wunderlich began his career playing for the youth academy of FC Viktoria Köln, until 2004 when he transferred to 1. FC Köln. After one year playing for the FC's youth academy, he was called up to the reserve team in 2005. In 2006, Wunderlich made his senior debut in Regionalliga match against VfB Lübeck. He would go on to play fifteen more matches that season. After playing all but two of 1. FC Köln's Regionalliga matches in the first half of the 2008–09 season, he transferred to Rot-Weiss Essen, another Regionalliga team.

===Rot-Weiss Essen and FSV Frankfurt=== Wunderlich would play one and a half season for Essen, before joining second division club FSV Frankfurt over the summer break in 2010. He seemed to have found his footing in Frankfurt, playing very well in the 2010–11 season. However, after the season, he requested to be sent back (on loan) to the fifth-league tier of Viktoria Köln to help him recover from burn out.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.kicker.de/wunderlich_ich-fuehle-mich-nicht-stark-genug-563191/artikel | title = Wunderlich: "Ich fühle mich nicht stark genug" | language = de | publisher = Kicker | access-date = 27 February 2012 | date = 13 January 2012}}</ref>

=== Viktoria Köln === In early 2012 he stated that he was not up to handling the pressures of professional football, and asked to remain with Viktoria Köln. His outstanding performance helped Viktoria Köln to be promoted to the newly formed Regionalliga (fourth league) at the end of the 2011–12 season, and get off to a very good start to the 2012–13 season.

Wunderlich was the top scorer of the 2016–17 Regionalliga West season with 29 goals as Viktoria finished as champions, thus qualifying for the promotion play-offs.<ref name="TopScorer">{{cite web|title=Regionalliga West Torjäger 2016/17|url=http://www.fussball.de/torjaeger/regionalliga-west-deutschland-regionalliga-west-herren-saison1617-deutschland/-/staffel/01S96O6LV8000007VS54898EVTAHLVK3-G#!/section/top-scorer|access-date=9 September 2016|language=de}}</ref> He scored from the penalty-spot in the first leg of the club play-off tie against FC Carl Zeiss Jena but it was not enough as they lost on away goals after a 3–3 aggregate result.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dfb.de/regionalliga/aufstiegs-playoffs/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2246428|title=Aufstiegs-Play-offs zur 3. Liga, 2016/2017, 2. Spieltag|website=DFB|date=1 June 2017|access-date=20 December 2019|language=de}}</ref>

Wunderlich was restricted to just 16 matches during the 2018–19 Regionalliga season but contributed 10 goals as Viktoria again secured the Regionalliga West championship and this time won promotion to the 3. Liga.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kicker.de/regionalliga-west/spieltag/2018-19/34|title=Regionalliga West Spieltag a2018/19|website=Kicker|date=18 May 2019|access-date=20 December 2019|language=de}}</ref>

=== 1. FC Kaiserslautern === In June 2021 it was announced Wunderlich would join 3. Liga side 1. FC Kaiserslautern for the 2021–22 season.<ref>{{cite web |title=1. FC Kaiserslautern verpflichtet Mike Wunderlich |url=https://www.kicker.de/absolute-fuehrungspersoenlichkeit-wunderlich-wechselt-nach-kaiserslautern-807955/artikel |website=kicker |access-date=22 June 2021 |language=de |date=21 June 2021}}</ref>

===Return to Viktoria Köln=== On 14 December 2022, the return of Wunderlich to Viktoria Köln on 1 January 2023 was announced.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Viktoria Köln|url=https://www.viktoria1904.de/aktuelles/2022-12-14-mike-wunderlich-kehrt-zu-viktoria-koeln-zurueck|title=MIKE WUNDERLICH KEHRT ZU VIKTORIA KÖLN ZURÜCK!|date=14 December 2022|access-date=21 January 2023|language=de}}</ref>

==Honours== '''Viktoria Köln''' * Regionalliga West: 2016–17,<ref name="TopScorer" /> 2018–19 * Middle Rhine Cup: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18

'''Individual''' * Regionalliga West top scorer: 2016–17<ref name="TopScorer" />

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Fussballdaten|wunderlichmike}} * {{Soccerway|mike-wunderlich/54757}}

{{Regionalliga top scorers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wunderlich, Mike}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Cologne Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:German men's footballers Category:1. FC Köln II players Category:Rot-Weiss Essen players Category:FSV Frankfurt players Category:FC Viktoria Köln players Category:1. FC Kaiserslautern players Category:2. Bundesliga players Category:Regionalliga players Category:3. Liga players Category:21st-century German sportsmen