Bayern Munich teenager Malik Tillman has decided to play for the United States in the future, according to Germany Under-21 head coach Antonio Di Salvo.
Tillman, who turns 20 later this month, has represented Germany at various youth international levels, most recently appearing with the U-21 side in March.
The attacking midfielder, who is eligible for the USMNT through his American father, has also played for the U.S. as the U-15 level.
“We regret Malik’s decision and it surprised us very much,” Di Salvo said to Kicker. “We promoted him in the U-21s as a younger player, placed a lot of trust in him and gave him match practice. We were intensively involved in talks about his prospects up to the senior national team.”
Tillman’s time at Bayern Munich
Tillman, who was born in Nurnberg, has come up through the ranks at Bayern Munich, making his senior debut for the German giants this season.
Tillman made seven total appearances for Bayern’s senior side in 2021-22, while playing the majority of his time for Bayern’s reserves.
Breaking through at a club as strong as Bayern could prove a major challenge for Tillman. According to a report from SPORT1 last month, Bayern will look to loan Tillman out in the summer in order to provide more first-team minutes.
Tillman’s older brother Timothy plays at Greuther Fürth, which was just relegated from the Bundesliga. Timothy, like his brother, played for Germany at the youth level and is still eligible to switch to the U.S.
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