Felix Nmecha firm on switch to Germany: "I want to play with my older brother."
Germany U21 international Felix Nmecha sat down with Carsten Schröter-Lorenz of German footballing magazine Kicker last night to reflect upon his starting debut with his new country and the disappointing result against the the land he used to represent.
For the 21-year-old, the chance to play for the German senior squad with his older brother Lukas means that he had definitely made the right decision.
Felix Nmecha earned his first start for Germany in last night's 1-3 to the English U21s at Sheffield's Bramall Lane. Though the 21-year-old could certainly be satisfied with the fact that he scored his first goal in the colors of his new country, a defeat against the land he represented over 20 times at various youth levels still left a sour taste in his mouth.
For the 21-year-old, the chance to play for the German senior squad with his older brother Lukas means that he had definitely made the right decision.
"We fought well, but it wasn't enough," Nmecha told Carsten Schröter-Lorenz of German footballing magazine Kicker, "It's always good to score goals. My first goal for the German U21s is, naturally, special. But, of course, when you lose, it's not as nice as when you win."
Nmecha cited some specifics about the team's play that happened to frustrate him. After a solid first-half, Nmecha noted, there were far too many ball losses in the build-up play. The English counterattack, bolstered by a slight tactical shift, simply found it way too easy to score two unanswered against his team.
Nmecha took his fair share of responsibility as well.
"I have to be more controlled in the moments when I'm fatigued," he remarked, "shielding the ball and playing more fluidly. My reactions annoyed me, but I'm glad that the consequences weren't severe."
When it came to his decision to represent the Bundesrepublik rather than the Isle's main kingdom, the younger Nmecha brother (unsurprisingly enough) merged his desire to follow his older brother Lukas with that of his heart. From the moment that the two of them were brought in to work side-by-side at Wolfsburg, it seemed a forgone conclusion that they would both opt to play for Germany.
Asked if, after the loss, he had any regrets about switching, Nmecha remained unequivocal.
"It was the right decision," Nmecha remarked, "I went with my heart. In the future, of course, I want to play for the senior national team with my brother Lukas. Hopefully, that will work out at some point. Hopefully, we're headed upwards."