Konstantin Kerschbaumer is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for German club 1. FC Heidenheim. He came to prominence in his homeland with SKN St. Pölten and won international caps for Austria between U16 and U19 level.
A central midfielder, Kerschbaumer began his career in Austria with local clubs FC Tulln and AKA St. Pölten, progressing to help the latter club to the 2008–09 Jugendliga U19 title. He signed for Bundesliga club SK Rapid Wien in 2009, making 20 appearances and scoring five goals for the U19 team and progressing to the reserves, scoring two goals in four late-season Regionalliga Ost appearances. He was a reserve team regular during the 2010–11 season, making 29 appearances and scoring four goals. He spent the 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons away on loan and departed the Weststadion during the 2013 off-season, having failed to make a first team appearance.
Kerschbaumer joined Erste Liga club First Vienna on loan for the duration of the 2011–12 season. He made 33 appearances and scored five goals.
SKN St. Pölten (loan and permanent transfer)
On 10 July 2012, Kerschbaumer joined Erste Liga club SKN St. Pölten on a season-long loan. He made 34 appearances and scored six goals during the 2012–13 season and joined the club on a permanent deal after the campaign. He improved his tally to seven goals in a successful 2013–14 season for the club, in which they finished fourth in the league to qualify for the Europa League and Kerschbaumer played in every match of St. Pölten's run to the ÖFB-Cupfinal, which ended in a 4–2 defeat to Red Bull Salzburg. Kerschbaumer made his Europa League debut in July 2014, playing in all four legs in the second and third qualifying rounds, with St. Pölten's European dream ending after a 4–2 aggregate defeat to Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven. He made 27 appearances and scored three goals during the first half of the 2014–15 season, before departing the club in January 2015. Kerschbaumer made 100 appearances and scored 16 goals during his two and a half years at the NV Arena.
Kerschbaumer signed for Bundesliga strugglers Admira Wacker Mödling on 20 January 2015 on a two-and-a-half-year deal. He made 16 appearances and scored one goal during the second half of the 2014–15 season, helping the club to finish above the relegation place. He departed the club in late June.
On 1 July 2015, Kerschbaumer moved to England to sign for Championship club Brentford on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee and became the first Austrian to sign for the Griffin Park club. He began his Bees career as a starter under Marinus Dijkhuizen, before being dropped to the bench by Dijkhuizen's replacement Lee Carsley in early October. Despite utilising him as a substitute regularly, Carsley admitted in early November that Kerschbaumer "needs a lot of coaching. He runs as fast as he can everywhere without being effective". He alternated between starting roles and the bench through to the end of the 2015–16 season, making 31 appearances. Kerschbaumer's 6 assists was the second-highest at the club after Alan Judge. Kerschbaumer made two early 2016–17 season appearances before falling out of favour with head coachDean Smith and dropping out of the squad in mid-September 2016. On 5 February 2017, while making just his seventh appearance of the season, Kerschbaumer finally scored his first goal for the club in a 3–3 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Injury to Josh McEachran led head coach Smith to include Kerschbaumer in the starting lineupfor the first time since the opening day of the season for a match versus Rotherham United on 25 February. He started the majority of the remaining matches of the season and finished the campaign with 21 appearances and one goal. In late June 2017, Kerschbaumer agreed a one-year extension option to his contract and departed on loan for the entirety of the 2017–18 season. He left Brentford on 1 June 2018 and made 52 appearances and scored one goal during two seasons as a first team player at Griffin Park.
On 28 June 2017, Kerschbaumer joined 2. Bundesliga club Arminia Bielefeld on a season-long loan. He made 32 appearances and scored eight goals during the 2017–18 season, in which the Blues narrowly missed out on the promotion playoff place.
On 1 June 2018, Kerschbaumer joined 2. Bundesliga club FC Ingolstadt 04 on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, effective 1 July 2018. He made 29 appearances and scored four goals during a disastrous 2018–19 season, which culminated in relegation to the 3. Liga. Kerschbaumer departed the club in September 2019.
1. FC Heidenheim
On 2 September 2019, Kerschbaumer moved back up to the 2. Bundesliga to sign a three-year contract with 1. FC Heidenheim, for an undisclosed fee. He made 26 appearances and scored three goals during a 2019–20 season which ended with defeat in the Bundesliga promotion play-off.
International career
Kerschbaumer won 20 caps and scored two goals for Austria from U16 to U19 level between 2007 and 2010. He was a part of the U17 team which won the 2008 U17 Toto Cup.
Style of play
Kerschbaumer was described by Marinus Dijkhuizen as a "box to box" midfielder. In June 2017, Brentford goalkeeper Daniel Bentley stated that Kerschbaumer was the best finisher at the club.
Personal life
Kerschbaumer's father Toni is a youth coach at FC Tulln.
