"I too would have been interested in it had it not worked out [for me]," Joshua Kimmich said. "It's interesting to learn new things in a different culture and country. They all have a scholarship, which is a cool thing. I had the feeling they were happy with the path they had taken. I think it's a really interesting option."
The words of the Germany captain were in reference to three young German footballers playing just five minutes from the fields of Wake Forest University where the likes of Manuel Neuer, Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala are training to realize Germany's World Cup ambitions.
Linus Musielak (22), Noah Vasilev and Flynn Meves (both 23) changed their summer plans for the chance to be closer to their football heroes.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity," Noah told DW.
The trio came to the USA to play football for a university on a scholarship. A 2020 survey from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) revealed that 367 men and 126 women from Germany played college soccer in the country. That number is expected to have risen since the last survey and international recruitment is a trend that is now redefining the way college soccer is developing here.
