Leroy Sane is following Man City team-mate Raheem Sterling to international stardom

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Joachim Low doesn’t have a reputation of being an emotional manager. He’s not known for wearing his heart on his sleeve the way a Diego Simeone or Jurgen Klopp would.

    In fact, he has a ruthlessness about him, just ask any one of Jerome Boateng, Thomas Muller or Mats Hummels – three high-profile players who were part of Germany’s core for years, all nudged into early international retirement this month.

    That said, there was no hiding his elation when Nico Schulz scored a last-gasp winner on Sunday night against the Netherlands. Victory in their first Euro 2020 Qualifier brought as much relief as it did joy after a tumultuous 10 months or so for Die Mannschaft, triggered by another one of Low’s ruthless calls.

    His decision to exclude Leroy Sane from Germany’s 2018 World Cup squad was difficult to comprehend and it hasn’t aged well a little less than a year on. Without last season’s Premier League Young Player of the Year, the 2014 world champions were eliminated early, embarrassingly finishing bottom of Group F behind Sweden, Mexico and South Korea.

    Ironically, a potential recovery for Germany may rest on Sane’s growing influence in the team. After his swift return to the fold following the debacle in Russia, the Manchester City attacker has impressed, even when the team hasn’t been at its best.

    An uninspiring 1-1 draw with Serbia in a friendly last Wednesday meant confidence was low going into the Netherlands clash. But even then, Sane remained among the better players. His goal against Ronald Koeman’s side was the highlight of another encouraging outing.

    With Muller dropped and Mesut Ozil retired, Marco Reus (29) is comfortably the most experienced member of Germany’s attack. At just 23, Sane is seemingly on the cusp of becoming another leader in the final third and rightly so.

    He has enough seasons under his belt at the top level to assume more responsibility and his game has progressed rapidly since his introduction to the Premier League. Meanwhile, the manner in which he took his World Cup omission on the chin and emerged on the side as one of Germany’s most important players at the start of a new cycle speaks volumes of his character.

    Of course, he’s benefited from being in close proximity to someone who’s been a shining example for him or any other young talent for that matter struggling under the burden of expectations. Raheem Sterling’s journey from scapegoat to superstar cannot be overstated.

    He’s transformed into one of the most lethal attacking players in club football over the last couple of seasons. and with England adopting a more expansive style of play following their World Cup exploits, Sterling has become their chief protagonist in attack.

    Pep Guardiola naturally deserves some credit where the development of these young players is concerned. Both Sane and Sterling always possessed tremendous ability. From a young age, they breezed past defenders with ease, showcasing blistering pace and fancy footwork. Yet, a lack of productivity was apparent.

    Mentor: Guardiola (c) has had a great effect on Sterling and Sane.

    Mentor: Guardiola (c) has had a great effect on Sterling and Sane.

    Their tactical evolution under Guardiola has been profound. The Catalan has made them accustomed to operating in different areas in the final third while their ability to identify and exploit space has improved astronomically.

    Sterling’s transition from flying winger, staying wide and attacking the byline, to a more fluid forward who’s integral to the build-up play in central areas and gets into goal-scoring positions has seen him evolve into a world beater.

    Sane on the other hand understandably trails Sterling in his development but he’s not too far behind and his performance against the Dutch is evidence of that. The German operated – and excelled – in a two-pronged attack alongside Serge Gnabry with Leon Goretzka in support.

    Both Sane and Sterling have nine assists in the Premier League this season while the latter leads in terms of goals, 15 to eight. The fact that City are still on for the quadruple in a season that’s barely featured the creativity of Kevin De Bruyne and has witnessed patchy form from Gabriel Jesus is testament to the contributions from their young duo.

    With a hat-trick against Czech Republic on Friday, Sterling has confirmed his status as an elite player for England and going by Sane’s recent form, he seems poised to follow suit on the international stage.

    Recommended