Harry Kane has joked that he could have convinced teammate Jamal Musiala to pick England over Germany had he been at Bayern Munich earlier.
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Despite being born in Stuttgart, Musiala was capped over 20 times for England across various youth levels earlier in his career compared to just two appearances for the Germany U16s.
However, the former Chelsea and Southampton academy star decided to represent Germany at senior level in 2021 and has picked up 27 caps since.
“I have a heart for Germany and a heart for England, both hearts will continue to beat – I’ve thought a lot about this question,” Musiala told German sports programme Sportschau at the time of his decision.
“In the end, I listened to my feelings saying it’s the right decision to play for Germany. But it wasn’t an easy decision for me.
“I had a very good and honest discussion with [former Germany head coach] Joachim Low. He showed me a clear route into the national team. Mr Low had clearly worked out and analysed my strengths and weaknesses. He also sees my future in my strongest position of attacking midfield and appreciates my qualities there.”
Could Musiala have played for England?
Now 21, Musiala has scored 28 goals in 85 appearances for Bayern across all competitions over the last two seasons and will be one of Germany’s greatest hopes when they host the European Championships this summer.
But it could have been very different Musiala, who would undoubtedly be an exciting prospect to line up alongside the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Kane for the Three Lions.
Speaking to ITV, the latter has joked that had he joined Bayern Munich earlier, he could have persuaded Musiala to make a different decision.
“I joke a bit with Jamal Musiala about him choosing Germany over England. Obviously, he could have played for England,” Kane told ITV (as quoted by talkSPORT).
“But maybe if I were here a few years ago, I could’ve put my arm around his shoulder and got him for us. But Jamal is a great player.”