Germany beat Nigeria to exciting Premier League youngster; call him up for Belgium, Peru friendlies

The youngster is one for the future, but Germany are ahead in the race to secure his international allegiance

In a not-too-surprising turn of events, Germany is set to beat Nigeria to exciting Brentford forward Kevin Schade.

Born to a German mother and a Nigerian father, Schade is eligible to represent both Germany and Nigeria in international competitions.

But Brentford have confirmed that Schade has been called up to the senior Germany squad for the first time and could feature in their upcoming friendlies against Peru and Belgium.

Germany Head coach Hansi Flick has had his eyes on the versatile youngster since he scored four goals in five appearances for Germany’s Under-21 side.

Schade was not even in the conversation when Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro recently invited 23 players for Nigeria’s doubleheader qualifiers against Guinea-Bissau.

Relatively unknown in Nigeria, Schade joined Brentford on loan from Freiburg in January, with the deal expected to be made permanent for a club-record undisclosed fee in the summer.

Schade made his first-team debut in August 2021 and went on to make a further 23 appearances in all competitions during his breakout season as Freiburg finished sixth in the Bundesliga. He netted four times last term, including an 84th-minute winner against Bayer Leverkusen.

The forward has made 20 appearances during the 2022/23 season, eight of which have come for Brentford. He assisted Mathias Jensen’s goal during Brentford’s 3-2 victory over Fulham earlier this month and made his first start against Southampton last Wednesday.

Nigeria Football Federation had reportedly been monitoring Schade’s progress for some time and hoped to convince him to switch allegiances to play for the Super Eagles. However, Germany has won the race for the talented young forward’s services.

Schade’s call-up to the Germany squad is a testament to his impressive performances this season and could be a sign of bigger things for the 21-year-old. Brentford fans will no doubt be pleased to see one of their star players getting international recognition and will hope he can continue to deliver the goods for the Bees in the remainder of the season.

Meanwhile, former Arsenal star and two-time English Super League winner Brooke Georgina Nunn has expressed her desire to represent Nigeria at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.