The Bundesliga has never really held much affection for the average English football fan and has only recently held more interest due to the influx of (predominantly young) German coaches that have graced our shores as clubs look to replicate the Guardiola effect on a budget.
In 2015 Jurgen Klopp (or the German Ian Holloway as I like to refer to him as; more of that another time) arrived with cool spectacles, a zest for the game and a crazed look in his eye and was subsequently followed by David Wagner and now Daniel Farke.
But of late there has been a gradual trade between the two football obsessed nations with an ever increasing trend of young English players looking to ply their trade in Germany.
Perhaps it is because the playing style is more similar to English football than any other of Europe’s so-called big leagues or maybe there is finally a desire to learn their football in a different culture. Either way it can only be good for the English game.
The acrimonious departure of Jaden Sancho from Manchester City to Borussia Dortmund in the summer was the first newsworthy story to hit the press. The young star was allegedly so furious at been left behind when Guardiola took his team on pre-season tour in the USA that he refused to train. As expected the result was a swift exit.
Since then there has been a steady stream of English players who have chosen to play in Germany, including Everton youngster Ademola Lookman, who left for Red Bull Leipzig much to the bemusement of his manager, Sam Allardyce.
Everton loanee Ademola Lookman has just scored the winner for RB Leipzig 😳
Not a bad debut 👀
Here are a few other young English players who opted to learn their trade in Germany:
Mandela Egbo - Borussia Mönchengladbach
The 20-year-old Londoner joined ‘The Foals’ from Crystal Palace back in 2015 and has endured a tough start to his career due to injuries.
But after impressing coach Dieter Hecking in the summer, the defender has now forced his way into the first team reckoning and although he is yet to make his first team debut he has been on the bench recently against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Egbo recently told The Guardian: ‘I’'d read that the chances of coming through a club into the senior team were higher here than anywhere else in Europe’s major leagues, and obviously they are world champions and their entire system is aimed at youth development.’
Seems a shrewd young man.
Kaylen Hinds - Greuther Fürth (on loan from VfL Wolfsburg)
The former Arsenal academy graduate joined Wolfsburg last summer having been let go by the Gunners following a spell on loan at Stevenage.
The pacey wide man from North-West London was immediately sent out to gain some valuable experience in the second-tier of German football after scoring three goals in five games during pre-season.
Hinds spent time with Wolfsburg coach, Andries Jonker, at the Arsenal youth academy and the Dutchman convinced Hinds that the Bundesliga would be the right place for him to develop.
A regular at England youth level he has high hopes for his career in Germany:
He said: “I think playing in a different country, in a different style will improve my game. It will be good experience for me.”
Chima Okoroji – SC Freiburg.
The pacey left-back is a former Bayern Munich academy player and joined Freiburg from Augsberg last summer.
With dual nationality, he could also represent Nigeria, but has been plying his trade in Germany from a young age.
There are quite a few clubs back in his homeland keeping an eye on his progress.
Jordan Brown (Hannover 96)
Another former Arsenal academy player, Brown joined West Ham in the 2015-16 season and even featured as an unused susbstitute for The Hammers Europa League first qualifying round second leg fixture away to Lusitanos of Andorra.
He was then loaned out to National Legaue South side, Chelmsford City before signing for the Bundesliga II side last summer.
Another England youth star who felt his career would be best served in Germany.
