Bayern Munich’s adolescent phenom Jamal Musiala, who spent the majority of his upbringing in England, has explained why he decided to play for Germany instead.
Musiala, who was born in England but has Nigerian ancestry, played youth soccer for England at the Under-15, Under-16, Under-17, and Under-21 levels and for Germany at the Under-16 level.
However, he quickly relocated back to Germany and signed with Bayern Munich for the 2019 season.
Because he spent so much of his youth in England, Musiala had to decide which national team he w/a/n/t/e/d to play for professionally.
Musiala said, “I’d had a tough choice to make,” which was shared only with FFT. I had frequent conversations with folks at both the FA and the DFB.
Both teams have been quite apparent in their desire to have me on their roster. It was a tough call because although I was born in Germany, most of my formative years were spent in England. Getting my first German cap was a life-changing experience.
Putting on the clothing of my birth country felt like coming home. It was clear to me that this was the best choice.
Musiala debuted for Germany in March of 2021 against Iceland, a few months before being named to the team that would compete in Euro 2020. Musiala didn’t second-guess his decision to represent Germany after their disappointing loss to England in the round of 16. The match took place at Wembley Stadium.
Musiala said, “England was brilliant that summer [in 2021], but I had no regrets.” I still root for the English side, and I’m happy for Jude Bellingham and the rest of the squad.
It’s fantastic that England is giving its promising young players more playing time. Playing time considerations were not a factor in my final decision. I didn’t consider how likely it would be that I would receive more playing time with Germany based on which country had the best young talent coming up. Germany was the obvious choice for me.
Jamal Musiala names 2 idols
Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala admits he was influenced by the style of Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Jamal Musiala is an elite talent, highly appreciated for his speed, technique, finishing ability, and assists. The 19-year-old has the potential to develop into a world-class player and has been likened to the new Messi.
In an interview with the official Bundesliga website, Musiala spoke about the influence Messi and Neymar have had on his playing style.
“When I was growing up, I watched a lot of videos of Messi and Neymar too,” Musiala said. ” I’m always a/m/a/z/e/d at how they dribble and it’s always fun to watch them play.”
Musiala will learn from the two South American stars when Bayern Munich face Paris Saint-Germain in a few weeks in the Champions League round of 16. On the contrary, the French giants will need to follow the ‘teen’ player on February 14 if they do not want to hold a grudge.
After 15 matches in the Bundesliga this season, Musiala has scored 9 goals and provided 6 assists. In the 2022 World Cup, he also played quite impressively, but not enough to help Germany qualify for the group stage.
