Germany manager Hansi Flick was left pleased with Nico Schlotterbeck’s debut for the European giants this weekend despite the reported Newcastle United target conceding a penalty.
Speaking to the press via GGFN, the former Bayern Munich head coach spoke about his satisfaction with the Freiburg talent over his first appearance for Germany, with Schlotterbeck starting alongside Jonathan Tah in a 2-0 win against Israel in Sinsheim.
Despite the clean sheet, it wasn’t a perfect debut for Schlotterbeck, who conceded a late penalty that threatened to put a mark on the youngster’s first-ever match for his national team. However, Kevin Trapp denied Yonatan Cohen from the spot.
As reported by Sport1, Schlotterbeck is a major target for Newcastle this summer, with the defender available for just €20m (£17m) after a fantastic breakthrough season in the Bundesliga with Freiburg.
At 22, the defender has much to learn about playing top-flight football, yet for Flick, the German coach was impressed with Schlotterbeck’s performance despite his last-minute incident against Israel.
Flick said: “Nico and I spoke about that incident. He analysed that clearly like we did, so that’s a good first step. He played well, got stuck in and was involved. Hopefully, it will be a good lesson for him. He can be really satisfied with his debut overall.”
Schlotterbeck praise for Germany good news for Newcastle’s interest
Failing on your international debut is something no player ever wants to experience, and whilst Schlotterbeck did concede a penalty, Trapp saving it is a huge relief for the young defender, and Flick’s praise of the German youngster is a positive sign for Newcastle.
Indeed, Schlotterbeck has all the quality and potential to be a fantastic player for Newcastle if Eddie Howe’s side can sign the defender, and Flick’s admiration for the Bundesliga star is only another sign of how far the centre-back can go in the future.
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