Musiala: Even Split Between England and Germany; I Don’t Focus Too Much on Public Opinion

On October 3rd, Bayern Munich will travel to England to face Aston Villa away from home. For Musiala, returning to England evokes many emotions. The Guardian published an exclusive interview with Musiala, where the player talked about his growth in England and his goals for this season and the future.

In October 2010, Musiala’s father took him, then seven years old, to St. Mary’s Stadium in Southampton to play football, marking the beginning of Musiala’s football journey. At that time, he couldn’t even speak a word of English. Reflecting on this experience, Musiala said: “This goes back to when I was young, you just go to the park, and that’s how you make friends. In terms of football, what helped me most in England was the freedom to play. When I was in the England youth team, the goal for young players was to freely showcase their skills, which helped improve my dribbling ability and adaptability to continue playing even if mistakes were made.”

“How do I feel about England? How do I feel about Germany?” Musiala responded: “It’s a 50-50 split.”

“I made some close friends while in the England U16 national team,” Musiala stated. “When you’re 15, all you need to do is dribble, dribble, dribble. You need to enjoy the joy of playing football. This applies to anything in life. You must enjoy what you do.”

Therefore, Musiala has been criticized by many (such as famous German commentator Hamann) as being “individualistic.” Regarding this, Musiala said: “Does it hurt me? No, I’m used to criticism. I don’t pay too much attention to comments from the media world. The feedback I take seriously comes from coaches, players, the team, and my parents. Everyone has their own views, but I just try to help the team. I never want to be a player who dribbles just to get highlights on social media.”

If Musiala continues to progress in this manner, will he return to the Premier League in the future? On this topic, the rising star said: “I don’t have any plans and won’t think too far ahead because situations always change over time. When I was six, I didn’t expect to come to England at seven! I don’t know. I’m open to everything, but I’m very satisfied with my current situation.”