sport news ADRIAN KAJUMBA: Surrey schoolkid Jamal Musiala has become Germany's biggest hope trends now
Jamal Musiala's standout performances for Germany on the biggest stage of all will have come as no surprise to some — not least Gareth Southgate and Jordan Henderson.
'We were lucky that we had a few players that were at a level,' recalled Tony Mesourouni, Musiala's PE teacher at Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, Surrey.
'But he would always come up with that brilliance, that goal, sometimes it would be that pass.
Jamal Musiala has been a revelation for Germany during the Qatar World Cup so far
Gareth Southgate poses with a young Musiala during a training session at his school
'The magic would always come through Jamal. The others would chip in but if we played in a tournament, Jamal would be the top scorer.'
Mesourouni will be among those familiar with the talismanic qualities that Bayern Munich teenager and former Chelsea youngster Musiala has displayed for Germany in Qatar.
Southgate also picked out a 10-year-old Musiala from a group of talented Corpus Christi prospects when he once held a training session at the school.
Musiala then underlined his talent by scoring four goals in just 20 minutes in a national cup final at Wembley a week later.
Musiala - wearing a Chelsea training kit - stands with his family during a football camp
According to his teachers, Musiala has always shown his football qualities when needed
On another occasion, Liverpool captain and England midfielder Henderson helped select Musiala as player of the tournament after he starred in a victorious Premier League Schools Cup competition at Anfield.
Such accolades were extra-impressive given the likes of Jonathan Panzo, brothers Ben and Kit Elliott and Jordan Aina — all then at Chelsea with Musiala and who have since gone on to become professionals — were among his school team-mates.
Southgate and Musiala crossed paths again during England's well-documented but unsuccessful attempts to convince the teenager to represent the Three Lions at senior level
