England youngster to Germany star - the rise of Musiala

Jamal Musiala's exceptional performances for Germany person lit up Euro 2024, but it is bittersweet for England.

Social media is rife pinch pictures of Musiala successful nan celebrated Three Lions jersey celebrating goals and trophies pinch midfielder Jude Bellingham during his younker career.

England shot whitethorn person felt FOMO, besides known arsenic nan fearfulness of missing out, arsenic nan 21-year-old scored doubly successful his first 3 matches and was named arsenic subordinate of nan lucifer successful nan 5-1 demolition of Scotland connected nan opening day.

Germany head Julian Nagelsmann says nan "brilliant" Musiala must support playing "like he is connected a mini transportation successful Germany aliases England pinch his friends”.

Yet, this associated portion of English and German engineering was erstwhile chartless to nan German Football Association.

Cambridge United adjunct head Kevin Betsy managed Musiala successful 3 property groups successful England's younker set-up.

Betsy told BBC Sport: "I scouted Jamal astatine an Under-12s tourney successful Brighton, and he was up beforehand for Chelsea.

"He was tiny, 1 of nan smallest players connected nan pitch, but he had astonishing intelligence, crippled understanding, quickness complete nan first 5 metres, and dribbling ability.

"I realised I saw thing typical erstwhile driving home. We weren't selecting immoderate underage players for England's first Under-15s property group, but pinch him and Jude, we put guardant our lawsuit to make an exception.

"I don't deliberation Germany knew overmuch astir him aliases his level until he faced them and was exceptional successful nan match."

Betsy says Musiala went distant pinch Germany astatine Under-16 level but did not bask his first campy location and returned to England for Under-17s football.

"Again, he faced Germany arsenic England's skipper and was exceptional against them," he added.

"After nan game, their younker coach said, 'I didn't realise he was that good'. That game, and Jamal joining Bayern, astir apt gave Germany nan precocious hand."

Musiala was calved successful Stuttgart, 1 of nan big cities for Euro 2024, and done his father, Daniel Richard, was besides eligible for Nigeria.

His mother Carolin achieved a spot connected an Erasmus people successful Southampton, which moved nan family to England.

Shortly aft he arrived he joined City Central FC successful Southampton. His first coach, Rosh Bhatti, posted connected Facebook successful January 2011 that “Saints whitethorn beryllium signing a subordinate who is truthful talented that I americium assured capable to opportunity he will go a master footballer 1 time contempt being conscionable 7 years old".

Southampton wanted Musiala but mislaid him successful a three-way conflict pinch Arsenal and Chelsea - arsenic nan Blues benefited from his mother getting a occupation successful Surrey aft her studies, adjacent to nan club’s Cobham training ground.

Musiala past joined Corpus Christi schoolhouse successful New Malden and his individual improvement was overseen by PE thatch Tony Mesourouni, who said: “He didn’t speak fluent English erstwhile he came here, but athletics helped him settee into nan schoolhouse - he showed awesome resilience to accommodate and ever worked hard.

“He was portion of nan chess club, did martial arts and learned to publication and constitute English to nan constituent wherever he could constitute a awesome poem astir his life successful shot conscionable earlier leaving.

"I still show nan kids coming astir Jamal’s story; he put 110% into everything, I get goosebumps seeing wherever he is now.”

The poem titled ‘Moment’ reads: "I americium sitting successful nan car. I'm looking retired of nan window. Outside it's acold - it's wintertime. But I'm sweating. I'm nervous. I don't cognize what will happen. Suddenly nan car stops. I adjacent my eyes. I return a heavy breath. I'm not tense anymore. I'm happy. I cognize what I've to do. My dada opens nan doorway and says 'Good luck for your first proceedings for 1 of nan champion Premier League clubs!' I'm playing for illustration ne'er before."

Through his schoolhouse football, he first met Gareth Southgate, who was past caput of elite improvement astatine nan FA.

Mesourouni added: “We won Premier League tournaments astatine nan Emirates, Anfield and Wembley - wherever Jamal represented Fulham, Brentford and AFC Wimbledon.

“Gareth astir apt wouldn’t retrieve that first gathering pinch Jamal but delivered a training convention earlier our last and told maine our number 8 Jamal is simply a ‘very bully player’.

"We past had a circuit of Wembley - Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick was being explained to nan kids - and Jamal said he wanted to replicate it - he went connected to people 4 and we won nan final.”

Southgate adjacent met Musiala erstwhile he formally entered England's set-up astatine property 13, erstwhile his shot astatine Chelsea became much serious.

Around this time, successful 2014, Musiala besides joined Whitgift School, a fee-paying schoolhouse successful Croydon, whose head of shot Andrew Martin added: “We’re a very beardown sports school. We first saw Jamal play against america successful nan semi-final of a Year Six cup competition. We mislaid 9-4, and he scored 4 goals.

“He was quiet, unassuming and polite but had sheer belief successful himself connected nan transportation - it’s astir apt nan biggest assurance I’ve seen successful a boy. He was an out-and-out number 9 for america and hat-tricks were commonplace.

“But location was a crippled that stuck retired to me, wherever he was getting kicked by a overmuch bigger squad successful Peterborough - he came to maine astatine half-time upset, and I said ‘just instrumentality astatine it and nan chances will come'. The 2nd half came, and he scored 2 goals.”

He near nan school, scoring 122 goals successful 3 years, playing successful 4 nationalist finals, and winning three.

Multiple factors past began driving Musiala distant from Chelsea and yet England.

Six months earlier, Bayern Munich had been targeting winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who was portion of nan aforesaid FA Sports agency arsenic Musiala.

During talks for Hudson-Odoi, Bayern besides discussed Musiala, past 16, disposable for a £170,000 compensation fee, arsenic Chelsea mislaid nan conflict to get him connected to master position connected his 17th birthday.

Musiala felt Bayern offered him a amended pathway and he made his first squad debut wrong a year, becoming nan club's youngest ever subordinate successful nan process.

His Bayern team-mates encouraged him to play for Germany. Then-manager Joachim Low, who won nan World Cup successful 2014, is besides believed to person been key.

Disappointing? Yes. But location is nary bitterness arsenic England are proud to beryllium portion of nan story.

“Gareth had a really beardown narration pinch Jamal from a young age, but location was ne'er immoderate pressure,” erstwhile England younker coach Betsy added.

“These families spot you pinch their child, location is simply a work of care. It’s conscionable love, appreciation, and making nan champion of your clip pinch them.”

Musiala ever said German arsenic his first connection and enjoyed little recreation clip and title aft choosing Die Mannschaft successful 2021.

Those adjacent to him opportunity he felt much German and perhaps, now that he is starring astatine a location tournament, this was ever his destiny.