Jamal Musiala reveals why he has chosen Germany over England

Bayern Munich forward Jamal Musiala has confessed that a conversation with Germany manager Joachim Low helped convince him to represent Die Mannschaft over England.

Born in Germany but raised in England, both countries were battling to seal Musiala's international allegiance.

There was a time when England, who Musiala represented at youth level, were winning the race.

However, Musiala confirmed to The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein to confirm his decision on Monday, admitting that it felt right to turn out for the country of his birth.

The teenager star backed that up in another interview with Sportschau, but outlined the difficulty of his decision.

He is quoted as saying: "I have a heart for Germany and a heart for England. Both hearts will continue to beat. 

"In the end I listened to my feeling that it was the right decision to play for Germany. Still, it wasn't an easy decision for me in the end.

Ultimately, it was Low's promise of a regular spot in the German national team helped Musiala decide that they would be better for his development.

"I had a very good and honest conversation with Joachim Low," Musiala revealed. "We met personally in Munich. 

"At this meeting, Mr. Low showed me a very clear path for me in the national team. Mr. Low and Mr. Bierhoff were very interested in me, wanted to understand my motivations and to get to know me as a person. I was impressed with how well informed they were. 

"Mr. Low worked out and analysed my playing style as well as my strengths and weaknesses very well and clearly. He also sees me in my strongest position in attacking midfield in the future and appreciates my qualities there. So I would definitely say that Mr Low, Mr Bierhoff, but also Hansi Flick and my teammates at Bayern had a positive part in my decision."

When pressed on who at Bayern had helped influence his decision, Musiala revealed a long list of team-mates who had offered their support to him while he made his choice.

"I was very impressed when I read that Serge Gnabry, Manuel Neuer and Joshua Kimmich publicly stood up for me so much and spoke so positively about me," he said. "I have a huge amount of respect for their achievements at Bayern and the German national team and for them as people.

"Manuel is our captain at Bayern and the captain of the German national team. I can learn so much from the whole team every day. Joshua, Thomas (Muller), Lewy (Robert Lewandowski) and everyone else welcomed me to the team and made my start with the seniors so much easier.

"But I also have to say that my coach Hansi Flick encouraged me to make my own decision and that I could talk to him about the national team at any time. That also showed me that I am currently in the right place and on the right team."

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