For a long time in England, the direct route for young stars was through academies such as Chelsea’s, West Ham’s and Southampton’s- just to name a few. And, if you failed to cut it, then the likelihood of rising to stardom remained slim. Yet, times have changed, as proven by Jamal Musiala, Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham.
Jadon Sancho swapped Manchester City academy football for first-team opportunities at Borussia Dortmund. He has since gone on to become one of the best wingers in world football.
Jude Bellingham had the pick of the bunch of top English clubs seeking his signature, yet he followed Sancho to Dortmund. Since then, the 17-year old has made appearances in the Champions League and Bundesliga, registering five-goal involvements.
Now, it is his good friend, Jamal Musiala, taking to the spotlight at Bayern Munich. Already the club’s youngest player to feature in the Bundesliga, Muisala has continued to impress and progress to the point, at the age of 17, he is now trusted to start in a Champions League knockout game.
Leaving the comforts of the Chelsea academy, his home for eight years, was a risky move. It was an unorthodox approach to reaching stardom, but, crucially, a leap he needed to take.
Musiala: The Latest English Talent Taking Unorthodox Approach to Stardom
Bundesliga Becoming the Breeding Ground for English Talent
From Sancho to the recently emerged Musiala, the Bundesliga has become a second chance to reach the top for young English talent.
Away from the pressures of the Premier League, players are realising their potential. Musiala could have quite easily followed in the footsteps of those before him at Chelsea.
He could have taken the same steps as the now forgotten man Charly Musonda with loan move after loan move and limited opportunities. Crucially, however, he took the more complicated yet more worthwhile German approach.
Now, because of that decision, Musiala doesn’t find himself needlessly out on loan. Instead, he finds himself in and amongst the Champions League holders, having just scored in a 4-1 victory over Lazio.
Another Chelsea Regret
Instead of following the rather depressing Chelsea trend, he has added to the list of their regrets- joining Kevin de Bruyne, Mohamed Salah and Romelu Lukaku.
Chelsea’s loss became Manchester City’s gain, Liverpool’s treasure, Inter Milan’s opportunity, and now, Bayern Munich’s advantage through the latest emerging talent in Jamal Musiala.
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Times are changing in English football. Now, more than ever, a second chance presents itself. The fact is if it fails to work out in an English academy, leagues such as the Bundesliga act as a second chance.
Musiala was the star man in the Chelsea academy but had seen so many before him failed by the first-team whilst the likes of Sancho thrived after making a risky decision pre-Frank Lampard.
So, instead of waiting for an opportunity that may never arrive, Musiala went in pursuit of it at the biggest club in German football. Now he stands as the second-youngest player to score in the Champions League knockout stages.
As it turns out, following in the footsteps of Sancho turned out to be the right decision. And, as each young English player takes what used to be an unorthodox approach, it slowly becomes the norm.
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