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| Brajan Gruda wearing the Mainz jersey |
Gruda is the son of the well-known Albanian footballer Bujar Gruda, who wore the Vllaznia Shkodër jersey back in the 1980s. In general, the Gruda family is renowned for their contribution to Shkodra and Albanian football in general.
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| Thomas Muller holding Brajan Gruda's jersey |
Gruda played for a full 90 minutes in the match against Bayern, and although they didn't achieve the goal of winning, he was the best player on the field for his team, assisting in the only goal scored in that match.
After the game, Muller took Gruda's jersey and later, through a post on his Instagram account, thanked him and encouraged him to continue with this form.
Gruda has played in seven Bundesliga matches in the 2023/2024 season, accumulating 373 minutes in total. He has started in four of these appearances in Mainz's eight matches and has come on as a substitute three times.
He scored his first goal of this new season in the 2-2 draw against Borussia M'Gladbach on October 6.
Gruda's relentless work has rewarded him with his debut in the Bundesliga wearing Mainz's jersey, on January 25 of this year, when he, as an 18-year-old, faced Borussia Dortmund.
Gruda has a total of nine appearances in German football's elite, with one goal and one assist.
Before making his debut with the first team, Gruda had played for Mainz's U19 youth group, where in the 2022/23 season, they were crowned champions.
When we turn to national team appearances, Gruda has worn Germany's jersey, progressing through various age groups.
Initially, he appeared for the U15 age group, and now, he plays for the U21s with whom he has three appearances but has yet to find the back of the net.