Stars and Stripes for Bayern's Julian Green
Munich - FC Bayern München hotshot has officially chosen to represent USA instead of Germany.
'Tremendously bright future'
The 18-year-old forward, who played for Germany at Under-15, U-16, U-17 and U-19 level, and the U.S. at U-18, could now make his debut for Jürgen Klinsmann's senior side against Mexico on 2 April.
"Obviously this was a big decision, and I spent a long time discussing it with my family," Green said. "I was born in Florida and my father still lives there, so I have deep roots in the US. I'm very proud to be representing the United States. A big part of the decision was the experience I had in Frankfurt. All the players were super nice and welcomed me from the beginning. Clint Dempsey gave me a jersey with my name on it, and the way they supported me gave me a lot of belief. The coaches have shown a lot of trust in me, and now I hope to do everything I can to earn a spot on the World Cup roster."
Former Germany head coach Klinsmann was just as delighted with the news: "We are absolutely thrilled that Julian has chosen to be a part of the US national team. As we have said, he is a very special talent. We wanted him to feel comfortable with our programme and listen to his heart when making this decision. I personally want to thank [Karl-Heinz] Rummenigge and everyone at Bayern Munich for their support through this process. He is an exciting player with a tremendously bright future."
Fast-track career
Green shot to fame after scoring ten goals for Bayern's U-19 side during the 2012/13 season. In his first 18 games for the U-23s in Bavaria's regional leagues, he scored 15 goals and chalked up six assists, before notching a hat-trick in Pep Guardiola's first game in charge against Wildenau last summer.
On 27 November 2013, the Tampa-born talent was summoned from the bench in the 88th minute to make his UEFA Champions League and competitive Bayern debut in a 3-1 away win against PFC CSKA Moskva.
