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15th June 2025
03:30pm BST
One of the Bundesliga's brightest young stars has opened the door for a switch to Ireland.
Mainz player Paul Nebel qualifies for Ireland through his Dublin grandmother, Maura.
The 22-year-old bagged 10 assists and six goals as his side finished sixth in the Bundesliga last season.
While he has represented Germany from U15s to U21s, he admitted that a switch to Ireland is a possibility.
He said: "After the season, they [the FAI] started courting me more intensively. That’s nice.
"If things don’t work out with the DFB at some point, then I’ll have to think about it, because Ireland is also in my heart."
Earlier in the year, he spoke to the Irish Sun and went into further detail about his Irish roots.
He said: “My grandmother’s name is Maura, she was born and raised in Dublin and came to Germany in her early 20s.
“Here, she met my grandfather and they had a family. She lives in Germany the majority of the time but still flies to Ireland quite often as she still has relatives there and a house, where we used to vacation when we were kids.
“When I was younger, I was there every year. We went on holiday at my grandmother’s house and visited the Irish side of our family. We always had a marvellous time.
“The thing that sticks out to me most is the amazingly lush nature. They did not name Ireland the Emerald Isle for nothing.
“I usually spend a lot of time outdoors when I am in Ireland. For me, the beautiful landscapes are the ideal place to relax and get my mind off of things.”
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