Exclusive: Wolfsburg's Lukas Nmecha discusses Germany and WhoScored strengths
"I think it's always an honour to play for your country." Lukas Nmecha was candid when asked the confidence gained from being selected for the national team. The attacker represented England from the U16s to the U21s, but in March 2019; changed his allegiance to Germany. Born in Hamburg to a German mother and a Nigerian father, yet raised in England, Nmecha was eligible for Germany, Nigeria and the Three Lions.
He may have played every level, bar senior, for England, yet declared for Die Mannschaft almost three years ago. It wasn't until November 2021 that he caught the eye of Hansi Flick and was rewarded with a first senior appearance for Germany. Since then, he hasn't looked back. Nmecha has been a regular in the national team set up, and while Flick has his favoured core players, the Wolfsburg man is a key performer in the squad as a whole.
"There's a lot of, for example, Bayern players in the team, where they're winning every week. In the situation that we're in right now, to still get selected is very rewarding," Nmecha added and had he not sustained injury against Hungary last month, it's likely he would have come up against England at Wembley in the entertaining 3-3 draw to see out the final international break ahead of the World Cup.
He stated that 'the situation that we're in right now' in reference to club side Wolfsburg, and to have won the trust of Flick despite the Wolves' position in the table speaks volumes of the alternative attacking threat he brings to the team. Wolfsburg head into Saturday's welcome of Gladbach 13th in the table, just three points above the relegation playoff spot, but now back at fitness, Nmecha will hope to play his part in firing his side up the table.
That shouldn't prove an issue for Nmecha. Since the start of last season, the young forward has scored 11 league goals, that ranking fourth of all German players in the Bundesliga. He has scored three goals across his three home league appearances this season, so it bodes well for Wolfsburg as they seek to make it three wins from their last five Bundesliga outings. It's also a good omen for the player and the national team. His record of German players is solid and having scored 21.2% of Wolfsburg's league goals since the start of last season, he's an important player for Niko Kovac's side, which is translating to his continued selection for Germany.
"With the quality that we have in the team, I think I'll get a lot more chances there [to add to the 11 goals] as well," Nmecha said with regards to his potential selection for the Germany team in Qatar. He'd certainly add another goalscoring threat for Flick's team, something that isn't in short supply for the national team, but a side can never have enough goal outlets. And while Nmecha does have three to his name in eight outings, when presented with the chance to score, he doesn't waste these opportunities.
Of the 51 players to manage more than 10 shots, Nmecha's conversion rate of 25% is the seventh best in the Bundesliga this season. As a result of his proflicacy, Nmecha has developed a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'finishing', as well as 'headed attempts', with the Wolfsburg star believing the former in particular is a fair reflection of his style of play. "I definitely say I'm more finisher based than dribbling," Nmecha said when these two qualities were highlighted to him, and considering his fine conversion rate in Germany's top tier this term, it is easy to see why 'finishing' is a strength of his.
It's a quality that he will have honed over time and given his lengthy team list, one would be mistaken for believing Nmecha to be a seasoned pro rather than a player who doesn't turn 24 until December. He's previously enjoyed loan spells at Preston, Wolfsburg and Anderlecht, before settling at the German side, but Nmecha admits the spells across Europe have helped him develop as both a player and a person.
"I think going on loan as a young player is always good to get experience different types of football, different managers, and a lot of hard times as well to help you to get through the tough times." Such upheaval at such a young age is hardly ideal for a player looking to hone his skills, yet Nmecha has taken it all in his stride to go from a player who struggled to break into the City first team, to one who has become a fully fledged Germany international.
This campaign also marks the first time in his senior career where he has started a second season at the same club, and this settling into familiar surroundings has certainly helped. "It's my second season, it's the first time that I've been stable and stayed at a team for more than a season, so it's definitely a good feeling to have a home," Nmecha said when asked whether settling at Wolfsburg has made a big difference in his career.
For any player, it's important to feel wanted at a team, and Nmecha is certainly a key man for the Wolves. Another reason behind his settling in at Wolfsburg is also a familiar face in the team. Lukas isn't the only Nmecha at the club, with young brother Felix also moving to Wolfsburg last year. So the crunch question: Is there a sibling rivalry at the Volkswagen arena? "I wouldn't say rivalry, I think we're just both trying to get onto the pitch as much as possible." Felix may not be a first team regular as Lukas is, yet the former is a regular feature in Kovac's matchday squads.
Rather than a rivalry, Nmecha says it's a good thing to have a family member in the city, and part of the reason why he'll have settled so quickly in Lower Saxony. "In terms of the city, it's good to have a brother there, a bit of family, so I would say it's definitely a positive." Having his brother in a new city will have aided Nmecha off the pitch, and this has translated to a series of fine performances on it, safe in the knowledge that there is a familiar face to have helped become a mainstay in the Wolfsburg XI.
So what next for Nmecha? Back at full fitness, there are seven games between now and the World Cup, starting with Saturday's welcome of Gladbach in what will be a gruelling period of domestic fixtures. The aim for the player will be to fire Gladbach away from the relegation zone and back into the Germany reckoning ahead of Qatar 2022. Well settled in his surroundings for both club and country, the next few weeks will be vital for Nmecha. One would expect him to take it in his stride to make Flick's World Cup squad next month and, potentially, return home with a winners' medal around his neck.
