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Germany head coach Hansi Flick is putting faith in the Bundesliga’s young guns. For this international break, he has once again called up four players still eligible for the U21s – Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Nico Schlotterbeck and Karim Adeyemi. But just how have the quartet earned Flick’s trust at such a young age?
In Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Nico Schlotterbeck and Karim Adeyemi, Germany head coach Hansi Flick has once again called up four players still eligible for the U21s.
The quartet were all involved in some capacity during the September international break, and have every chance of swelling their senior cap count in the latest round of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Romania and North Macedonia.
It would be nothing more than they deserve after some consistently eye-catching displays at club level.
Take Wirtz. One of the heroes of Germany’s triumphant 2021 UEFA U21 Euros campaign, the 18-year-old has scored, assisted or both in all eight of his competitive appearances so far this season.
Goals in successive games between Matchdays 2-6 propelled him into the history books as the youngest player to reach 10 Bundesliga strikes, aged 18 years, four months and 23 days. With a further five assists, only Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland has had a direct hand in more goals this season (11). Robert Lewandowski is third on the list with eight.
“He’s simply an outstanding technician, loves to play, very creative, has a good shot, runs hard and is quick,” commented Flick before handing Wirtz his Germany debut in a World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein on 2 September 2021. “He’s the full package.”
Flick has a keen eye for top-level talent. During his stint as sextuple winning Bayern head coach, the Germany boss gave Musiala his big break as a pro. The former Chelsea FC academy starlet rose to the challenge, making history as Bayern’s youngest Bundesliga debutant and scorer, and their greenest in the UEFA Champions League.
After penning pro terms, Musiala pledged his international allegiance to Germany in time for the UEFA 2020 Euros, where he became his country’s youngest player to appear at a major tournament. Three months on against Liechtenstein, he marked his full debut with the deadlock-breaking assist for Timo Werner, adding to his four goals and three assists for Bayern in the early part of 2021/22.
Impressive numbers for an 18-year-old, who only played U21 international football twice – for England – before making the step up to the seniors. Suffice to say it’s where he belongs.
Schlotterbeck has experienced Musiala’s qualities at first-hand. Another UEFA U21 champion this past summer, the Freiburg stalwart was included in Flick’s tenure-opening roster in September. He didn’t make it off the bench in the trio of qualifiers, but a maiden cap is surely just around the corner.
The 21-year-old is the bedrock of the Bundesliga’s joint-stingiest defence so far this season (five goals conceded), and ranks third league-wide for challenges won (95), putting him comfortably ahead of fellow Germany centre-backs Niklas Süle and Matthias Ginter.
All three would need to be at their very best to stop Adeyemi. A bit-part player at the U21 Euros, the former Bayern youngster scored a senior debut goal from the bench against Iceland. The 19-year-old forward has also struck eight times in 10 Austrian Bundesliga outings for Red Bull Salzburg, as well as twice in as many Champions League assignments this term.
With talents as bright as Wirtz, Musiala, Schlotterbeck and Adeyemi, Flick’s Germany will be a force to be reckoned with long into the future.
