There are not many footballers who can say they used to clock in on a factory floor before becoming a World Cup star, but Deniz Undav is not your average footballer. The Germany forward has had a journey that most scriptwriters would reject for being too far-fetched, and yet here he is, proving everyone wrong on the biggest stage the sport has to offer.
What makes the story even better is that it was not that long ago that his own international manager, Julian Nagelsmann, was publicly questioning him. That is a pretty uncomfortable position to be in — getting called out by your national team boss is not exactly the kind of ringing endorsement that builds confidence. Most players might shrink away from that. Undav? He seems to have used it as fuel.
The Brighton and Stuttgart man has always been the sort of player who gets overlooked until you suddenly realise you cannot ignore him anymore. He is not the flashiest name in the squad, he is not going to be on every advertising billboard, but he does the kind of things that matter in big games. Goals, movement, pressing, causing defenders problems — the bread and butter stuff that wins tournaments rather than just looking good in training videos.
Germany fans will be quietly delighted that Nagelsmann had the good sense to keep faith with him even after the public friction, because that relationship has clearly come out the other side in a good place. It says a lot about both men, actually. Nagelsmann was honest rather than just keeping a player sweet with empty praise, and Undav responded by performing rather than sulking. You do not always get that maturity in football.
For anyone who loves an underdog tale, Undav is your man at this tournament. The factory floor feels like a very long way away right now, and long may that continue for him. Let me know your thoughts.