The talented teenager is making a senior impact at club level and making big calls on the international stage
Jamal Musiala is generating plenty of headlines at 18 years of age, with Joshua Kimmich among those to see “something special” in a Bayern Munich starlet that is “full of tricks”.
An immediate impact has been made by the youngster on a senior stage at club level, while the decision has been taken to commit to his international future to Germany over England.
Big things are expected from the teenager for club and country, with team-mates at Allianz Arena among those getting excited by his potential.
What has been said?
Kimmich told Bayern TV of Musiala: “Already in his first training sessions with us, you could see that he can really do something special. He’s full of tricks, unpredictable and also very dynamic when it comes to controlling the ball, especially with his first touch. He always tries to take the ball forward.
“When I think about where I was at his age, I was still in my youth at VfB Stuttgart.
“He’s very advanced for his age. As a person, he’s very calm and reserved. I think he can and will look to come out of his shell even more as his self-confidence also grows.”
Why is Musiala generating such a buzz?
The Stuttgart-born playmaker has seen his star on the rise for several years. Having moved to England at a young age, he was quickly snapped up by Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and added to their academy ranks.
He swapped west London for Munich in July 2019 and made his competitive bow for Bayern 11 months later.
On June 20, 2020, Musiala became the youngest player to represent Bayern in the Bundesliga aged 17 years and 115 days, with his first goal arriving in September.
He has since gone on to become the youngest goalscorer in the Champions League, having netted in the 4-1 last-16 win over Lazio, and is expected to see more minutes over the remainder of the campaign.
Why did Musiala choose to play for Germany?
The youngster found himself in a position where he could pick between three nations.
He qualified for Germany through birth, represented England at youth levels after setting up home there and was eligible for Nigeria through his father.
A big decision regarding international allegiance was placed on young shoulders, with Musiala declaring in February that he would be committing to Germany.
He told The Athletic: “I’ve thought about this question a lot. What is best for my future? Where do I have more chances to play?
“In the end, I just listened to the feeling that over a long period of time kept telling me that it was the right decision to play for Germany, the land I was born in. Still, it wasn’t an easy decision for me.”