Jamal Musiala, 17, proved why England wants him in the national squad with a Champions League performance for Bayern Munich.
Hansi Flick substituted Jamal Musiala for Thomas Mueller against Lazio. The Bayern coach trusted the young British potential. He scored in the 24th minute of Bayern’s 4-1 win against Lazio. Jamal Musiala became the youngest German Champions League player to score aged 17 years and 363 days.
Jamal Musiala scored for Germany in the Champions League at the youngest age ever.
Career journey
Born on February 26, 2003 in Stuttgart (Germany), Musiala moved to England at the age of 7 with his family. Musiala spent his childhood in London, attending Whitgift School in Croydon – the same school as football stars such as Callum Hudson-Odoi, Victor Moses and Bertrand Traore.
Studied at Chelsea’s Youth Academy for many years. By 2019, at the age of 16, Musiala was bought by Bayern Munich. The German team expects Musiala to become a replacement for Thomas Mueller in the future. The decision to recruit Musiala at all costs shows Bayern’s vision.
Musiala moved to England at the age of 7 with his family
On June 3, 2020, Musiala made his professional debut against Preussen Muenster in the German 3rd division, coming on as a substitute. A week later, Musiala “fired” for the first time in a Bayern shirt. He scored twice to help Bayern’s reserve team win 2-0 against FSV Zwickau. The double goal made Musiala the second youngest goalscorer in tournаment history, at 17 years and 98 days. Musiala’s nаme and image flooded social networks.
In June 2020, Musiala became the youngest player to ever play for Bayern in a Bundesliga match. He came on as a substitute in Bayern’s 3-1 win over Freiburg, at the age of 17 years and 115 days. In September 2020, Musiala became the youngest player to score for Bayern in the Bundesliga in an 8-0 victory over Schalke 04. Musiala came off the bench and scored the winning goal for the home team at the age of 17. 205 days. A month later, he had his first starting match for Bayern in a trip to FC Duren in the 2020-21 German National Cup.
Quit England and choose Germany
Musiala once represented England at youth level, making his debut for the England U15 team when he was just 13 years old. Last November, the England U21 team called up Musiala for the first time for the U21 European qualifying campaign. Musiala made his debut against Andorra and scored against Albania a few days later.
Musiala used to play for England’s youth teams
However, Musiala still carries half of her mother’s German blооd. Musiala was also called up to the German U16 national team. In 2018, he even appeared in the German U16 shirt in the match against Belgium U16. In the end, he chose to play for Germany for his international career.
But recently decided to choose Germany
Musiala made this decision right after Bayern won against Lazio in the Champions League on February 24, 2021. “I have thought a lot about this question,” Musiala answered a question from The Athletic reporter. “What’s best for my future. Where will I have more opportunities to play football? In the end, I listened to my feelings for a long time and felt that the right choice for me was to play for the German national team, the country where I was born.”
Playing style
Musiala’s playing style has been compared to England’s Dele Alli, with similarities in technique, height and speed. Musiala thrives as a number 10 but can also play anywhere in midfield. In the match against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, this young talent proved it with a perfect performance.
What do they sаy about Musiala?
-Whitgift School’s director of football Andrew Martin: “Even though he plays for Bayern Munich, he still calls me ‘Sir’. That tells you everything you need to know about this guy. I was fortunate to coach Jamal during his three years at Whitgift. When he first arrived, he was a small and unconfident guy. But as soon as you put him on the football field, he becomes animated. Technically exceptional, very skillful and a player who can score all types of goals, inside and outside the box. He is also a good dribbler and likes to lead the players. I believe he will continue to score hundreds of goals in his career, whether it is at Bayern Munich or elsewhere.”
-Bayern Munich reserve team coach Sebastian Hoeness: “That guy is cold as ice. If you talk to him before the match, he seems focused, calm and reserved.”Coach Hans-Dieter Flick: “He can keep the ball, create dаnger in goal, make the final pass. We expect a lot from him. The important thing is that he must be more mature in the coming matches. It is a lifelong learning process. I believe he will take the next steps with the support of top players.”