Mathys Tel, for a reason, has seemingly turned into everyone’s darling.
Scoring the winning goal in the Bavarians’ UEFA Champions League group encounter in Copenhagen might be one catalyst, but the tale of the 18-year-old with Caribbean roots extends far beyond.
Emerging in the wake of Three Lions’ captain Harry Kane, the French under-21 international has stepped into the spotlight.
His six seasonal goals across various competitions have sparked international attention and garnered widespread appreciation from both his coach and teammates.
Bayern Munich’s coach, Thomas Tuchel, lauded the striker’s “remarkable attitude,” while club icon Thomas Muller finds a reminder of Arjen Robben in Tel, noting he “has a similar goal hunger.” The clubs’ supporters too, have been delivering appreciative chants.
For Tuchel, the talented forward is “accepting his role and not like others wants to leave right away because he doesn’t get enough playing minutes. He is 18 and he is aware of that.”
The narrative surrounding Tel’s choice of his shirt number speaks volumes.
It was a toss-up between nine and 39 for the youngster, but donning the shirt number of former goal supplier and superstar Robert Lewandowski appeared to be no choice for him.
“I didn’t want the nine not having done anything for the club and the team. If I get the nine, I want to deserve and earn it,” Tel expressed in one of his rare interviews.
Becoming the Bavarians’ youngest goalscorer at the age of 17 and 126 days in August 2022 didn’t cross his self-imposed red line.
Rather than extolling his achievements, Tel, embodying a well-mannered protege, discusses the support he receives from Kane and Muller.
“Thanks, legend,” he said about Muller, labeling him a true leader from whom he is learning, alongside expressing his congratulations on the 34-year-old clinching his 101 Champions League victory.
Only football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, with 115 wins, has amassed more.
Training visitors observe Kane regularly conversing with Tel, with the Englishman dispensing snippets of advice.
Key figures like former Swiss international Pirmin Schwegler emerge as eyewitnesses.
“It was the first time I called my colleagues already at halftime when investigating a player at a game,” the former Bayern chief scout reminisced after he saw Tel in France’s under-18 duel against Italy in November 2021.
Schwegler’s acumen led the 2020 treble winner to invest a reported 28 million euros. “I pretty quickly knew it is a very special visit,” former scout Schwegler recounted.
Champions League covering TV stations report that the French striker has taken the lead in Europe regarding goals per minute of playing time following his game-changing goal in Copenhagen. Statistics reveal Tel scores every 49 minutes.
