Harry Kane has claimed that he could have convinced Bayern Munich colleague Jamal Musiala to play for England instead of Germany.
Musiala was born in Stuttgart, Germany, but raised in London until the age of 16, when he joined Bayern Munich. The youngster was therefore eligible to play for England or Germany, and after representing the Three Lions at youth level he opted for Germany in 2021. Now, his Bayern team-mate Kane has joked to ITV Football that he could have convinced Musiala to join the England squad had he met him earlier.
Kane said: “I joke a bit with Jamal Musiala about him choosing Germany over England. Obviously he could have played for England. 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.”
Kane’s comments are clearly meant as a joke, but you can understand why Musiala made the decision to represent Germany. Aside from the fact that he’s been living and playing there since 2019, the 21-year-old will also know that the Germans have a far better tournament record than the Three Lions, with five World Cup wins and three Euros triumphs to date. They’ll be hoping to add to that collection this summer.
Musiala made his choice, and as it stands he’s landed on the side that looks slightly weaker going into Euro 2024. England are the favourites to win the tournament, but Germany have plenty of talent in their ranks and will be hoping that the home advantage makes a difference. The European Championship is set to kick off on 14 June.
