Ohio State men’s soccer signs German midfielder Thomas Gilej

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Brian Maisonneuve, now in his third year as head coach of the Buckeyes, announced Tuesday the signing of Thomas Gilej to a National Letter of Intent to play for the Ohio State men’s soccer program beginning this fall. He will be a freshman during the 2020 season.

Gilej, a 6-foot-3-inch, 180-pound, midfielder, is a native of Wuppertal, Germany. He currently plays club soccer for Wuppertaler SV in the U19 Bundesliga, where he served as captain in 2019-20. The team was the Regional Cup Winner three times (2017-19) and the league champion (2019).

Quoting Maisonneuve – Thomas Gilej

“Thomas has a high soccer IQ with the physical attributes to be an exceptional college soccer player. With a 6-3 frame, Thomas moves very well and has soft feet for a big man. He is captain of his U19 Bundesliga team and will be a great teammate in the locker room. Thomas has some versatility and can sit in the midfield or be a force at centerback. We couldn’t be more excited to have Thomas part of the Buckeye family.”

Thomas Gilej Profile

Personal

• Son of Aneta and Daniel Gilej
• Played Wuppertaler SV (Club)
• Has one sibling, Jacqueline
• Enjoys playing soccer and basketball, spending time with family and friends, gaming, listening to music and watching movies
• Winning the league championship (Niederrheinlinga) and getting promoted to the Bundesliga is one of his greatest sports thrills to date. The feelings associated with winning a championship in his sport of choice alongside his teammates after months of hard work made winning the championship even more memorable.