Currently, Paul Nebel is getting the chance to showcase himself on the international stage. With the Germany national under-21 team, he is participating in the European Championship in Slovakia. After three victories in the group stage, he and his team will face Italy in the quarterfinal on Sunday. In the match against the Czech Republic (4:2), he even scored a goal, and beyond that, Nebel is one of the key players in the German team.
However, the Mainz 05 player has also attracted some interest in Ireland. Since his mother is half-Irish, the 22-year-old midfielder is eligible to play for the Irish national team. In fact, there has recently been an exchange between Nebel and the FAI, as reported by the German sports magazine “kicker”. “After the season, they were already more intense in their courting,” Nebel explained, according to “kicker”. He adds, “And that’s also nice. If it doesn’t work out with the German Football Federation (DFB) at some point, then you have to think about it because Ireland is also in my heart.”
Nebel currently plays for the German Bundesliga club Mainz 05 and is one of the key players there. In the past season, he scored 10 goals in 31 games. He was also responsible for 6 assists. With these strong statistics, he played a significant role in Mainz having a fantastic season in the Bundesliga and qualifying for the Europa Conference League. According to the football website “transfermarkt.com,” his market value is at 24 million euros.
It is not unlikely that Nebel will also play for the German men’s national team in the near future. However, the mere fact that he has had discussions with representatives of the FAI is interesting in itself. According to “kicker”, he feels quite emotionally connected to the country. “My grandmother is from Ireland, my mother is half-Irish. I was there very often as a child,” says Nebel. “Ireland is a bit of a second home for me.”
It remains to be seen where Paul Nebel’s path will lead. At the moment, he is busy trying to achieve the best possible result with the German U21 national team at the European Championship. It is clear, however, that a player of his quality would certainly be an asset to Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side…