The German Prodigy

“From the first time I saw him, I was just counting the days until I could promote him to the senior squad without acting irresponsibly.” When Juergen Klopp first saw ‘him’, Mario Goetze was only nine years old but even then it was evident that he was nothing short of exceptional. The Borussia Dortmund boss finally got the chance to unleash this carefully nurtured talent in November 2009, although Mario was restricted to only a few substitute appearances that season due to a series of growth related fitness problems and didn’t leave a lasting impression. The teen sensation saw a great opportunity come his way when the manager promoted him to the senior squad during the 2010-11 season following an injury to their influential playmaker, Shinji Kagawa. As expected by those within the club, he made the most of the opportunity and Kagawa’s absence almost went unnoticed. He struck 6 league goals and set up a further 15 for his team on their way to winning the Bundesliga.

The then eighteen year old was clearly instructed to fill the void left by Kagawa, a daunting task for most players his age but the fact that Goetze didn’t just deputise in that position but instead commanded it and made it his own is what separates the good players from the great ones. He has a great touch, electrifying pace, great skill and a good eye for goal. He's not shy to dribble with the ball and is composed when in possession. However, it is his creativity and passing that has captivated onlookers as his 15 assists last season set a new league record. His class has been hailed by many, even drawing plaudits from the great Franz Beckenbauer who claims that he is impossible to stop and has similar attribute's to those of Messi's. He went as far as to declare that he is the "German Messi". Given his current stats and the realisation that this is only the dawn of his career, I wouldn’t argue against the former World Cup winning legend. As eighteen year olds, this is how Goetze’s performances compare with Messi’s –

                            Appearances    Goals    Assists    Goals/Assists 

                                                                                  per game ratio

                                                                 

Lionel Messi                   25                8             4                 0.48

Mario Goetze                  41                8            15                0.56

It must be noted that Messi has always been a forward while Goetze plays from midfield and so Messi would naturally be the more prolific goal scorer while Goetze would create more. For this reason, I incorporated a "goals/assists per game ratio" column to fairly reflect their performances. For someone so young, these statistics are pretty remarkable. It’s terrifying when you realize that he probably has another 8 to10 years before he reaches his prime. Like Messi, the German prodigy is blessed with near perfect technique which enables him to control the ball in tight areas and wriggle away from his markers. It’s a difficult task to find a kink in the lad’s armour but if he does have a weakness, it’s physical rather than technical. At a height of 171 cm and weighing 64 kg his physique is far from intimidating and he ultimately loses out in the majority of his aerial challenges. Be that as it may, he is not as vulnerable in that aspect as his opponents may anticipate. His upper-body strength is greater than would be estimated on appearance.

This past summer he was linked with moves to several European giants. Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham were all reportedly interested. At one point Arsenal and United were touted to go head to head for the Dortmund player’s signature. Instead of jumping on to the fast track to fame and glory and earning twice as much as he was, the level-headed German decided to extend his contract with Dortmund till 2014. His modesty and attitude are just as critical to his success as his attributes on the pitch. With the sort of hype created around him it would be easy for a teenager to get carried away but Goetze remains grounded. He shuns the party lifestyle that so many professional footballers gladly embrace, “it doesn’t fit well with football”, he says. He still lives at home with his parents and surrounds himself with people concerned with his development rather than gaining financially from his talents. The manner in which he conducts himself on and off the pitch shows maturity beyond his years and bodes well for his career.

What Mario Goetze makes of his potential is now solely up to him. Will he fail to meet expectations and eventually fade away from the spotlight or will he soar above the rest and take his place amongst the truly elite? Everything he’s done so far points towards his inevitable success. How he performs in his second season in the senior squad is decisive. He doesn’t come across as the type to crumble under pressure but rather rise to the occasion. It won’t be long until the footballing world counts Mario Goetze among the very best playing the beautiful game.