The Youth of today - the best young German footballers
Who are Germany’s best young football players?
In this series, “The Youth of Today”, Charlie Rowan celebrates up-and-coming European talent under the age of 23 with unrivalled potential, country by country. We have so far looked at the best young English players, the top talent from Spain, the pedigree of French youth and in this piece, we focus on some wonderful German future stars.
Germany - An international pedigree
Die Mannschaft may have won 4 World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) - but it hasn’t stopped investing in the future.
Germany are the second most successful national team ever. They may have declined since their 2014 glory, but don’t write them off. An abundance of young German talent inspires a seemingly successful future for the national team.
Kai Havertz, Leroy Sane and Timo Werner are young stars growing into world-beaters. But these are names that are already dominating headlines. Who are the up-and-coming young German players that are lesser-known, with limitless potential? Charlie Rowan gets his pen out once more to let you know his suggestions.
Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz may only be 17, but already in 10 senior appearances, he has shown glimpses of stardom. Bayer Leverkusen are dealing with a gem.
The German attacking midfielder is technically gifted, sharp, agile and his game is infused with flair - a comparison to Brazillian phenomenon Phillipe Coutinho seems accurate. A passing machine, he is suited to the style of German football - he has completed 146 passes in 488 minutes of senior football this season. But it isn’t only German football. The teenager has scored two goals in two games in the UEFA Europa League.
With 1.03xA (expected assists in the Bundesliga so far in 20/21) he has the power to change the scoreline. He is also versatile, having played on both wings at youth level. And with 0.67xg (expected goals) per game, he is also very potent in front of goal. The Pulheim-born whizzkid is the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history - it’s no surprise that he has already played for Germany’s under-21 side three times.
Die Werkself sit three points behind league leaders Bayern Munich currently, with Wirtz’s breakthrough proving to be an emergence of an ace.
His teammate Aleksandar Dragovic knows his potential:
"The lad has a lot of potential and if he keeps his feet on the ground, he could be another Kai Havertz.”
Dennis Geiger
Hoffenheim starlet Dennis Geiger has attracted interest over the past year from some top clubs - and it’s not hard to see why. The 22-year-old is an exceptionally composed midfielder, whose creative mind does not stop ticking.
A defensive midfielder who can also operate as a box-to-box player, Geiger has made 187 passes so far in 6 games, a feat greater than RB Leipzig sensation Christopher Nkunku. And with 1.61 chances created and 0.20 through balls per game this season, the 173-cm tall engine isn’t afraid to contribute to attacking play.
That being said, Hoffenheim’s corner taker has glorious defensive stats so far during the 20/21 campaign; an astounding tackle success ratio of 100% has shown that he can star in a poor Hoffenheim side is not having the best of seasons.
Injury problems meant that he never really got going in his first two seasons. However, since the start of the 19/20 season, he has dazzled scouts across Europe - with Manchester City, Everton and Bayern Munich all linked with a move over the past year. And with 5 Germany under-21 caps since 2019, manager Stefan Kuntz has clearly developed trust with the Mosbach-born future star.
Felix Uduokhai
A prized German talent, Felix Uduokhai is part of the next generation of elite defenders. The left-footed Augsburg centre-half is 6”2, consistent, strong and fast - but is also comfortable in possession. Last season he was very impressive, despite a poor Fuggerstädter campaign. Very aware of positioning and spacing, Uduokhai has been linked with Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal in the past.
Felix Uduokhai - A young defender in demand
Having racked up a solid 0.29 clean sheets per 90 minutes this season, Uduokhai is at the heart of the Augsburg defence. The 23-year-old’s awareness of positioning is evident with his clearing - he understands when it is right to recycle play, clearing the ball 6.14 times every 90 minutes in 20/21.
And his technical prowess is clear with his dribbling ability - despite being a no-nonsense centre-back - the 23-year-old has completed 0.29 successful dribbles per game this season so far.
His performances have not gone unnoticed. Uduokhai, who was born to Nigerian descent and German descent, has featured across Germany’s youth setups with appearances for the U19, U20 and U21 teams. But now he has been called up to the first-team squad by German head coach Joachim Löw.
He said: "We don't call-up anyone who we don’t trust can do it. We want to reward players like Hofmann, Neuhaus, Max or Uduokhai for their performances."
Florian Neuhaus
The last German wonderkid to feature on this list is Borussia Monchengladbach attacking-midfielder Florian Neuhaus. Technically potent, combative in the tackle and always identifying the perfect pass, Neuhaus has shown why he is good enough for several seasons. But he is still only a 23-year-old.
Born in Landsberg-am-Lech, and likened to legend Lothar Matthäus, Neuhaus is a terrific all-rounder. Stats of 30.6% forward passes, 7.5% contribution to chances, 0.70% through balls as a percentage of passes, and 90.4% passing accuracy in the opposition half portray his dire need to contribute to the attacking play.
In the 2017/18 season, he was sent out on loan to Fortuna Dusseldorf to prove his talent. And he did just that, scoring 6 goals and racking up 3 assists in 27 league appearances, helping Fortuna clinch the Bundesliga 2 title and promotion to the top flight.
Italian giants AC Milan were linked with him in 2019, but last November, Neuhaus decided to commit his future to Borussia Monchengladbach. The 183 cm tall star has a fantastic work ethic - he is one of head coach Marco Rose’s main men. Die Fohlen’s powerful and dominating attacking style suits Neuhaus considerably. Last season, Neuhaus’ key displays guided Borussia to 4th place in the Bundesliga.
His technical ability and intelligence also encouraged Joachim Low to give him a chance. And in his three games played, he has already impressed, scoring one goal.
That concludes the fourth match of our European tour. These players are astounding talents, and will probably go on to become legends of the game.
This is an original article by Charlie Rowan for The Sporting Blog.
