After scoring a goal against Schalke, Musiala became Bayern Munich's youngest ever scorer.Jamal Musiala, 18, will remember Tuesday's meeting between England and Germany at Wembley as a surreal moment.The German-born, Southampton-born, midfielder was born in Germany and moved to Southampton when he was a child. He was then spotted by Chelsea and played for London until 2019. He also captained England at youth level.To return to Germany, he rejected a contract with Chelsea and signed for Bayern Munich. This is a wise move after a season where he played 37 club games and was selected for Joachim Low’s Euro 2020 squad.Musiala, who had represented both countries at youth level, confirmed his intention to play for Germany in February.He told The Athletic that he listened to his gut feeling and decided to play for Germany. External-link"It wasn't an easy choice for me. I have both a love for England and Germany in my heart. Both of my hearts will continue to beat. Because I have so many positive memories, it is hard to put into words what England means to me.Musiala (10), played in England's junior age group and captained the under-17sMusiala, who was granted British citizenship in 2018, felt compelled to show her international allegiance.He made only two appearances in the under-16s for his country of birth. However, he was much more frequent for England and even became joint-captain with Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham of the U17s.Andrew Martin, who was a Crystal Palace player and now directs football at Whitgift School, Croydon, says that England was his preference."So, when they met up to play for England squads together, he knew them because he had played against them. He didn't feel like he was part of the German system despite going to Germany.Musiala maintained a strong connection with Germany throughout his time in England. Although he speaks fluent English, he will always speak German at home. He and his parents also travel to Germany during school holidays to visit family and friends.His standout performances in international tournaments with Chelsea started to attract interest from all over the continent. With a possible move to Spain now close, Musiala was tempted to accept the offer of a big club in his home country. Musiala signed a 3-year contract with Bayern in July 2019.Musiala (left) has also represented Germany at the youth levelFrom Stuttgart to Chelsea via SouthamptonMusiala, seven years old, was short and undersized in comparison to his peers. But you couldn't help but notice him.He was unstoppable playing for City Central, his local grassroots team. He scored at will, and was almost impossible to stop for the children following him around the half-dozen small grass pitches at the Outdoor Sports Centre, Southampton.Musiala has seen a lot of changes over the years. He now stands 6ft tall. He became Bayern Munich's youngest goal scorer in September 2020. Last week, he was on the bench against Hungary for eight minutes, setting up an equalizer that kept Germany in Europe and saved Germany from embarrassment.Musiala (number 14,) set Leon Goretzka up for the goal that kept Germany at Euro 2020.The talents that were displayed at those events were evident ten years ago."He stood out then for his ball-dribbling abilities and the ability that he had," recalls Graham Castle, the Chelsea Scout who saw Musiala. "The ball stayed at his feet the entire time."Musiala was born in Stuttgart, and raised in Fulda in central Germany. He had only been in England for a few months, having moved to England with his parents, while his mother studied sociology at Southampton University. Southampton had already invited the talented young footballer to train alongside their under-8s.Castle said that Musiala was a rival interest. "But I sold it and he came up to have a look at our facilities, and our coaching. Our coaching was a cut above the rest when he arrived. Everything worked out perfectly."Because it happened towards the end that season, our under-8s had already been established. He was immediately able to play in a friendly match with Blackburn Rovers. They took him on from there. They were able to see his potential. He was just having fun with players."Musiala is always ahead of the curve in terms of development. He was just 17 years old when he scored the Bayern's youngest goal with the strike against Schalke. In June, Musiala became the club's youngest Bundesliga player, at the age of 17. He "played up" regularly in higher age groups throughout his time at Chelsea's academy. He was just 15 when he played for the Blues U18s.Right, Musiala was with Chelsea for eight year starting in 2011.Brian Mustill, who coached Musiala's U8s in Chelsea, said, "When he used do our technical sessions on Tuesday night, he would be absolute tops." He was at the top of his potential range."Although Musiala's eye for goal and dribbling abilities immediately attracted attention, Chelsea's coaches believed Musiala was most notable for his work ethic.Mustill says, "When he lost it, he did everything he could to get it back.""I can recall that we played Spurs away and he scored six to seven points on that day. It was his desire to win it back, after he had lost it. He ran the length of the pitch trying to get the ball back, and then he beat the entire team again."Martin met Musiala for the first time when Whitgift's U11s faced off against Whitgift's primary school team, in the semi-finals a county-wide tournament.Martin recalls, "We are a strong school of sports but we were thoroughly thumped." "We lost 10-4. Jamal scored five to six points.Musiala was a striker for Whitgift's teams. He was prolific. Martin, like the Chelsea coaches was struck most by the youngster’s determination and commitment. Martin cites one particular game as an example: the quarter-final of the English Schools FA U12s national tournament against Coombe Boys on a cold and bitter afternoon just before Christmas.Martin states, "I believe it ended 5-5 and that we lost on penalties." "Jamal had scored two to three goals and he'd earned his penalty. Jamal wept at the end of the match. Jamal cried at the end of the game, which showed how much he loved. He was destined to glory, even though it was a school match. He was a man who valued every match."Everytime he played, it meant something for him and he cared."Rapid growth at BayernMusiala started in Bayern's U17 team, but his average goal-or-assist rate of one per 105 minutes saw him quickly promoted to the U19s. After the German coronavirus pandemic caused German youth football to cease last year, Musiala was drafted to Bayern's U23s. He impressed enough to receive his historic debut in June.Jochen Sauer (Bayer's youth campus director) says, "The fact that he now becomes the youngest Bundesliga scorer is something we all are proud of." We also know that he has a long way to go in his development.He still has a lot of work to do to make it to the top, but he certainly has the footballing qualifications.Bayern did not intend to overextend Musiala in 2020-21. The plan was for most of his football to be in the third tier, along with the club’s second string.His performances were so impressive that he could not be overlooked. Bayern won the Bundesliga title with seven goals. He also made his Champions League debut, and was part of the Club World Cup winning team.He may have been destined to play at Wembley's big games. He may do that on Tuesday, but it will not be in an England shirt.This article was published for the first time in October 2020.
