Germany: The Next Generation? Five of the best uncapped youngsters making a splash in the Bundesliga
Welcome to our new German football blog, courtesy of BundesligaFussball 's Ross Dunbar
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German football has seen something of a renaissance over the last 10 years and the major reconstruction of the sport has seen the Bundesliga become, arguably, the best league in Europe and the nationalmanschafft strolling to Euro 2012 with ease.
But with such a strong (and largely youthful) national team, how easy will it be for new talent to break into the side?
Here are five of the best young uncapped German players that are worth keeping an eye on.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Gladbach)
The 19-year-old has excelled as Gladbach’s regular goalkeeper over the last six months and some have even put him in the same bracket as FC Bayern and Germany keeper Manuel Neuer.
When Lucien Favre took over at Gladbach in February with the club bottom of the table, he made a massive change in goal with Christian Heimeroth dropped and rookie kid Ter Stegen coming in. It proved to be a move that would keep Die Fohlen in the top-flight.
Ter Stegen has produced some impressive performances and his contribution has undoubtedly had a positive impact on the rest of the side. Since 2008, the Gladbach keeper has been a constant presence in the German youth squads with 20 international appearances from U17-U19 level.
But with Manuel Neuer an almost ever-present figure at FC Bayern, it will be incredibly tough for the youngster to break in to Joachim Low’s plans.
Julian Draxler (Schalke 04)
This young Schalke star made his name in the DFB Pokal clash with FC Nurnberg last season and with the game at 2-2 in extra time, 17 year-old Draxler curled home a fantastic late winner.
There was much controversy at the time in the German media with a national law preventing under-18s working in the evening!
But despite the politics, it was clear this was another teen sensation, similar to Mario Gotze, who could take the Bundesliga by storm.
And Draxler would have his moment again in the DFB Pokal final in Berlin when he opened the scoring with a fine finish from the edge of the box.
Under Ralf Rangnick, he quickly became a key feature in the Schalke first-team and was regularly starting in an expansive 4-2-3-1 formation.
Draxler possesses a good range of skill and is capable of playing on the left or right-hand side of the attack. If Schalke are to break their duck of winning the Bundesliga, then the 18-year-old will be a key player.
Maxi Beister (Hamburg SV, on loan at Dusseldorf)
Hamburg’s loss has been Dusseldorf’s gain to some extent with young Beister performing very well in the second-tier of German football.
The 21-year-old has yet to be given his chance in Hamburg and the loan move to Fortuna has certainly been worthwhile for the young attacking midfielder.
Dusseldorf are in contention for a promotion place to the Bundesliga and regular football could propel him in to Thorsten Fink’s plans next season. Beister has made 12 appearances so far this campaign, scoring five goals and creating another eight.
The youngster has been another regular feature in the German youth squads with 19 caps at U19-U21 level.
Zhi Gin Lam (Hamburg SV)
Sticking with Hamburg, the new era under Frank Arnesen has paved the way for a number of younger players to make their impact in the first-team.
Lam, 20, got his big breakthrough under caretaker coach Rodolfo Cardoso against VfB Stuttgart and the attacking-midfielder produced an impressive display to help HSV to their first win of the season.
Born in Hamburg, he has strong roots with Hong Kong and his father is Chinese. Lam has yet to feature for Germany or China at international level but if he continues to establish himself at the Volkspark then he will undoubtedly get that call sometime soon.
According to the Hamburg sporting director, Lam is a very intelligent player and is capable of playing anywhere in midfield and attack. His ability to keep the ball well and be comfortable on either foot makes him a very good option for Thorsten Fink’s new 4-4-2 formation.
Markus Mendler (FC Nurnberg)
Pieter Hecking’s Nurnberg side finished seventh in the Bundesliga last season but there have been only glimpses of that form this campaign.
A large part of Hecking’s team is the classy youth in midfield with Markus Mendler playing just off Tomas Pekhart.
18-year-old Mendler has played 11 times this season in the Bundesliga and has shown his worth for Der Club. The Memmingen-born player works really well off a main striker and his good link-up play and movement has created a dangerous attacking force.
Credible mentions also deserving of many other young talents such as Patrick Herrmann (Gladbach), Alexander Esswein (Nurnberg) and Ilkay Gundogan (Dortmund).
But with the current German national team possessing so much quality, this next generation of players have got their work cut out to break in to the full squad.
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Read more from Ross at BundesligaFussball or follow @rossdunbar93 on Twitter
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