Nick Woltemade spoke with confidence after bagging both goals in Germany's 2-0 win over Luxembourg. The towering striker saved Die Mannschaft's blushes after a goalless first half against the international minnows. His manager Julian Nagelsmann praised his first choice goal scorer's work ethic, saying the 23-year-old deserved "special praise" after his tireless performance.
Woltemade saves Germany's blushes in Luxembourg
Woltemade's emergence has been a lone bright spark in a labouring World Cup qualification campaign for Die Mannschaft. A 2-0 loss to Slovakia in September has locked both sides in a fierce race for top spot in Group A. A goalless first half in Luxembourg would have given the initiative back to Slovakia after their win against Northern Ireland.
However, the towering forward's brace nudged Germany top of the group on goal difference ahead of Slovakia's visit to Leipzig on Monday. The Newcastle striker opened the scoring when he stabbed home a Leroy Sane cross in the 49th minute, before sweeping home Ridle Baku's assist twenty minutes later.
Despite his side's nerviness, Woltemade insisted that he remains confident in his abilities to conjure up a goal, even when he is peripheral in the game or his teammates are providing him with limited service.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWoltemade confident in his abilities
Speaking after the game, Woltemade said: "I've developed great confidence in my abilities and a really good feeling that I know: no matter how the game goes, I can still score a goal."
He did admit that he was "served very well," for both of his goals, however.
The 23-year-old said he was "very happy" to score vital goals for his national team. "It feels good to score goals, and these two were very important," he added.
So sure of his talents was the ex-Werder Bremen star, that he coolly rebuffed questions about his competition as Germany's main man up front. When asked if he was worried about the return of injured forward options such as Kai Havertz, Niclas Fullkrug or Tim Kleindienst, he replied, "no honestly, not really." This success thus far has Woltemade looking forward to next summer's World Cup. He added: "This is the biggest tournament in the world, a dream for everyone to play in. "That would be number one."
Woltemade also told the assorted press, that he intended to give his match worn shirt to his sister. "My sister already wrote to me that she's really keen on the long-sleeved jersey," said the match winner. "That's probably why I'm going to Bremen."
Nagelsmann wants "special praise" for Woltemade
Nagelsmann was effusive in his praise of his young striker after the game, praising Woltemade's tireless efforts and admitting he is going to be a key player for the national team as Germany continue to prepare for the World Cup.
"Nick deserves special praise for his work ethic," said the 38-year-old. "He covered a tremendous amount of ground, he's really good and important for us."
Getty Images SportCan Woltemade solve Germany's goalscoring woes?
While Nagelsmann clearly does not rate his striker purely by his goal scoring efforts, it certainly helps that the 23-year-old has started scoring vital goals for Die Mannschaft.
The German national team has failed to replace Miroslav Klose since he retired after the 2014 World Cup. A slew of striking options have tried and failed to nail down that no.9 spot, with previous managers opting to deploy an extra midfielder or a makeshift option like Havertz to lead the line.
Having bagged three crucial goals in his last two appearances, including the winner in a laborious 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in October, Woltemade is establishing himself as the saviour of a national side that disappointed at recent tournaments. His confidence in his won abilities will only help the Newcastle star as he progresses in his international career.
He has another chance to prove himself in Leipzig on Monday, when Germany face off against Slovakia. A draw will be enough for Die Mannschaft to secure automatic qualification to next summer's World Cup, as they lead Group A on goal difference.