A few eyebrows were raised when Shkodran Mustafi took to the field in Germany’s 2014 World Cup opener against Portugal.
The defender had only made his international debut against Poland three weeks before the tournament, but was thrust into action as a 73rd-minute substitute for Mats Hummels in Salvador.
“I got a call just a few months before the World Cup to go and play a friendly game against Chile for Germany,” Mustafi told Arsenal Player. “It was the first time I was in the squad, so I was really, really excited.
My goal at the beginning of the season was to get my place as a centre half and play most of the games for Sampdoria, but then I got called up to the national team
“Still, friends and family were saying, ‘I’m smelling an opportunity for you to go to the World Cup’.