Jamal Musiala suffered a horrific injury during the recent FIFA Club World Cup that will prevent him from playing until – at least – November. After the operation, he will have a long recovery, and the 22-year-old Bayern Munich attacking midfielder will now have a lot of time for reminiscing.Matthaus: Give Musiala a blank check, let him write his own contract – like MessiTalking to The Athletic, he revealed many things about his childhood and youth, including that a teammate named him Bambi after the legendary story of a young, vulnerable deer.”It was Leroy Sane who gave me that nickname,” said Musiala in the interview, with a smile. “It kinda stuck. But I was a lot smaller as a kid. My dad had a crazy love for football, and still does. He really pushed me.”I remember playing in games and tournaments in Fulda when the other boys were two years older than me. I always had to deal with bigger and stronger opponents.”My first football memory, though, was being asked to be the linesman. I was six years old, standing with the flag on the touchline, and it must have looked quite funny. But I guess it showed that, even as a very young kid, I must have understood the game.”##NAJAVA_MECA_9019115####EDITORS_CHOICE##Musiala admitted that during those years, he played a lot of video games, especially those involving football.”I was that little kid,” Musiala explained. “Growing up, I’d see my idols on the cover. It seemed impossible to think that one day I’d be in their position.”I’d play the game with my friends, my dad and my sister. These players – Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo – were untouchable in my eyes. I’d watch their skills, then go out to the garden or the park, dribbling through cones, seeing what I could learn from them. So this is a big moment for me, a dream come true.”See you next decade – mission ‘Musiala 2030’ accomplishedAt the age of 8, he moved to England with his family and eventually joined the Chelsea football academy. There, he played alongside Michael Olise, Tino Livramento, and others.”At the time, I was just excited,” he said. “I remember telling my mum I’d be really happy to move and try something new.”I didn’t speak any English when we arrived and my first couple of months were quite tough because I didn’t understand much at all. But I adapted quickly. I liked my new life and when you are around people who are speaking the language, you pick it up 10 times quicker.””It (football) helped a lot in terms of making friends and settling in. We played every lunchtime, every break, and when I went to Chelsea, I had friends from the same school who were there at the same time.”Bambi stays in MunichOnce he settled in England, it didn’t seem possible that he’d return to Germany. Alas, then Bayern called in 2019…”Again, it just felt right to try something new. I knew how big Bayern were and, in the end, I just thought, ‘Why not? Take the chance – go for it, and let’s see if it works out’. I never try to think too much about what could go wrong in these moments. I’d much rather trust myself and go with the flow.”##NAJAVA_MECA_9021797##Then he had to decide which national team he’d represent, England or Germany… Not an easy choice.”It wasn’t an easy decision,” said the former England Under-21 international. “I still have a lot of love for England and a lot of my closest friends are from there. But it was a decision that me and my family made together.”It could have gone either way but, in the end, we made a good decision. It felt right, but that doesn’t mean the love I have for England has ever gone away,” he concluded.
