Youssoufa Moukoko and Gio Reyna are warming up to try their hands at FIFA. Whereas Jude Bellingham lazily waits for his turn on the sofa in the living room of his house in Dortmund. This is one of the many sessions that these three spend together when they are not dribbling past defenders or scoring goals in the black and yellow jersey.
"5-3, finished," Reyna exclaims after beating his teammate.
"Huh? I let you win man," retorted Moukoko.
And we get a glimpse of the secret behind their brilliant chemistry that we often witness on the pitch.
Bellingham's mother Denise Bellingham has flown from England to settle in Germany. At just 17, in his debut season at Dortmund, he has made 23 appearances and has 1251 minutes under his belt. This can be taxing for any youngster and the presence of his mother is a welcome relief for him.
"I couldn’t be more grateful of her. She does everything for me and I couldn’t thank her enough for everything she does," Jude stated during an exclusive interview with DAZN.
The Bellingham family could gauge from a very early age that the teen sensation is destined for big things in life. Hence the transition from England to Germany did not rattle them at all. Instead, she wants to be there all the time beside her son so that when the going gets tough, she can at least keep an arm around her child.
"I feel nervous for him because you know what the press can be like, you know what the public can be like. When everything's going great, it's great, but it's when it's not going great. So yes, I'm always worried about it. And I think that's just natural as a parent. That’s what you do," expressed Denise.
Jude has a brother, Jobe, who is also creating ripples in Birmingham with his football skills. Staying away from him for long periods is undoubtedly tough but he is ready to make these sacrifices to be counted amongst the best in the world.
"He's come incredibly far for his age, incredibly far. He knows what he wants, has a clear idea of how he wants to perform, wants to improve every day. He’s also one of the players who come to me of their own accord and ask for video analysis or ask about the last game and if we can analyse it again, or whether I’ve analysed it, to show him what he’s done well and where he can improve," stated Otto Addo, the assistant coach of BVB.
Meanwhile, Moukoko had to migrate from Cameroon at a very early age. At 10, he flew to Germany and started living with his father in Hamburg. He went on with a pair of sneakers on his first day at the St. Pauli academy where he got enrolled and he knows things are only going to get tougher as you progress from the developmental teams to the senior teams.
"Everyone has to have their own experiences. When you get to the top, you have to get in line, because things don't always go the way you want them to. You have to work your way up. It's a bit difficult because when you were young you always played, and then you move up and you don't play as often. That is difficult," observed the teenage sensation.
Whereas, Reyna finds himself in another unique situation. His father Claudio Reyna was a midfielder and had an illustrious career featuring for Bayer Leverkusen, VFL Wolfsburg and the likes of Manchester City and Sunderland. Whereas, his mother Danielle Egan has six appearances for the United States women’s national team. But unlike Moukoko and Bellingham, he has to stay alone in Germany, which sometimes takes a toll on the young footballer.
"I've been alone for almost six weeks now. Yes, it is tough. I think you can ask the other young guys, I mean, Jude has his mom here, so it's a little bit different, but I think I'm one of the only ones that's fully alone," stated Reyna.
Hence BVB has got on board a sports psychologist in Phillip Laux, who helps these youngsters get through these difficult phases.
"When a career like this starts and goes well, they often don't have time to reflect. The games come quickly, the rest periods, when they become international players, are very short. There is no time to reflect. Then there are two weeks of vacation and the whole thing starts all over again.
"Phases like that, when things are going less well, when the career hits a rough patch, actually give you the opportunity to reflect, to process a few things. (Like) What has happened so far? How did my personality develop? What is important for my next career step?" explained Laux, who has been working closely with Reyna since he joined BVB.
Reyna's friendship with Bellingham goes an extra mile because both of them are English speaking. Although on the pitch, the language of football takes over, beyond the 90 minutes, one has to concur that linguistic homogeneity makes you feel closer to home.
"When I first came to the club, he was probably the first one to put his arm around me and look after me. When I got here, obviously English speaking, similar age and you know, he was just a really calm person to be around. He's so humble and he's so down to earth and you know, he's a really good guy to be around and he's the kind of character that you want in your team," said Bellingham about his friendship with Reyna.
Addo feels that the young-trio of BVB are hitting the right chords and does not get disappointed even if they make mistakes in this learning curve. The plan has always been to let them express themselves on the pitch and to keep doing the right things even after stumbling and falling down. Along with him, Sebastian Geppert has also been promoted as the first team assistant coach from the developmental set up so that these players continue to work around familiar faces.
He has been with Moukoko from his very first days in Dortmund and when the teenager debuted in Bundesliga as the youngest player, he was ecstatic. However, to celebrate his first goal from the bench was definitely more special.
"I’m glad Geppi is here. We know each other very well. He was like a father figure, in the youth system as well. It was like father and son between us and it still is," said Moukoko about Geppert.
The youngster exploded in the youth football scene in Germany, bragging of numbers unheard till now. He has been on song in the developmental stages but playing in the senior team requires a clearer head and a bit more patience.
"As few losses of possession as possible. He had a tad too many in his appearances and in training too. Especially in situations where we’re getting set for pressing, for example, he wants to do it right away. We want to win the ball and maybe he has to wait for the right moment, so he probably has to learn this patience a little more, the right signs, the right moments" assessed Geppert.
The teen-triumvirate knows that they are a volcano of talent which can burn down any opposition on their day. With time on their side, they can have the world at their feet within the next couple of seasons, given that they keep their head down and continue working the same way.
What do you want to achieve? We asked.
"Everything," Moukoko replied within a blink of an eye.
A few things seldom change. Moukoko and his ambition to be the greatest is one of them.
As partners, Evonik and Borussia Dortmund stand for so much more than just football.
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