THIS weekend, Jamal Musiala continued his impressive rise by coming on as a sub for Bayern Munich in their 3-1 win over SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga.
The promising attacking midfielder, plucked from Chelsea’s academy last summer, was a late replacement for club legend Thomas Muller with just a couple of minutes left on the clock.
Jamal Musiala (centre) is beginning to make a name for himself at Bayern MunichCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Musiala made his Bundesliga debut against SC FreiburgCredit: EPA
It shows the potential the German giants see in the England youth star.
Earlier in the month, Musiala scored his first two goals for the Bavarians, playing for their reserve side in Germany’s third tier, 3.Liga.
His double in the 2-0 win over FSV Zwickau made him the second youngest goalscorer in the history of that competition – aged just 17 years and 98 days.
Although Musiala was just 45 days short of the record set by David Alaba, the impressive feat was not lost on Bayern’s social media channels – with their official Twitter page sharing an image of Jamal with a lovestruck eyes emoji.
MOVING FROM STAMFORD BRIDGE
Despite Chelsea’s desperate attempts to keep Musiala at Stamford Bridge on a long-term deal, the Stuttgart-born youngster signed for Bayern Munich in 2019 on a five-year-contract.
He joined the trend of English youngsters leaving the UK for Germany in search of first team football, including Jadon Sancho and Reiss Nelson.
And he could’ve had another Chelsea player sharing that experience with him.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, who like Jamal is repped by First Access Sports, was a chief target for the German champions around the same time, before they turned their attentions to Musiala and the England international signed a new deal with the Blues.
ENGLAND OR GERMANY?
Although he was born in Germany, Musiala has starred for the Three Lions at youth level.
Astonishingly, he made his debut for the Under-15s at the tender age of 13.
Musiala (second from right) scored his first two professional goals earlier this monthCredit: Represented by ZUMA Press, Inc.
Musiala in action for England U17sCredit: Rex Features
Musiala plays as an attacking midfielder or second strikerCredit: Rex Features
In 2018 Musiala played for the Germany U16 team against BelgiumCredit: Getty Images – Getty
While for the U16 side he scored three times in nine games, providing two assists. Musiala has since appeared for England’s U17 team six times and scored twice.
However, he may be hedging his bets when it comes to international football.
The promising talent has also played twice for the German U16s, so expect a tug-of-war over his international future.
SUPER SUB
On June 3, Musiala made his professional debut over Preußen Münster in the 3. Liga – coming on as a sub in a 3-2 win.
A week later, he scored his first professional goals.
With Bayern struggling to break down FSV Zwickau, Musiala was introduced to proceedings replacing Malik Tillman after 57 minutes.
And he made the difference, with his two strikes coming in the 75th and 85th minutes to earn his side victory.
HE’S COLD AS ICE
His boss Sebastian Hoeness praised Musiala’s ice-cold demeanour after the game.
He revealed: “The boy is freezing cold. If you talk to him before the game, he appears focused, calm and reserved.
Musiala became the second youngest scorer in 3.Liga when he netted twice for Bayern MunichCredit: Represented by ZUMA Press, Inc.
Germany and England are set for a tug-of-war over Musiala’s international futureCredit: Getty Images – Getty
“But when he comes on the field, he literally explodes. That’s exactly what we want to see from young players. They should take your heart in your hand and be brave.”
He added: “We know that Jamal has great qualities with the ball. The boy helps us, so he deserves the chance.
“Against Zwickau, he rewarded himself and helped us a lot as a team, which makes me extremely happy.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
