Florian Wirtz talks first Germany camp experience

There is obviously a lot of excitement within Germany’s national team regarding the respective futures of Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz. With the talent level of both Musiala, at 18-years-old, and Wirtz, at just 17-years-old, it is easy to forget just how young these kids are.

For Wirtz, however, he gets a stark reminder of that youth as he has school work to do — even while on international break.

Photo by Lukas Schulze/Getty Images

“It is exhausting to get both things under one roof, I have to admit that. And I know that I have to approach both with the same amount of energy, even if it is a little easier for me in football,” Wirtz said. “But then I realize that I don’t have a lot of school time ahead of me. And I can’t and won’t give up so close to the end.”

Even with the extra workload, things have went pretty well for Wirtz. The camp veterans have provided a welcoming environment.

“I was also received very well by the guys here. Many were happy for me that I received my invitation at this age,” said Wirtz, who indicated he only knew one or two players prior to the start of the camp. “It is a special feeling to get to know all these players. Until recently it seemed very far away. That’s why everything still seems a bit unreal to me. But I really feel at home here.”

Like Musiala, Wirtz also commented that having another young player going through this camp for the first time has helped make this a better experience.

“It’s nice to have someone here who is as young as me, with whom you have more in common and with whom you can hang out a bit,” Wirtz said. “We are of course a bit in focus. But we both don’t put so much pressure on ourselves that we have to show something special, we just enjoy being able to be there. And look forward to playing with such great players.”