Thomas Muller Backs 'Exceptional' Leroy Sane to Shine for Germany After World Cup Snub

Thomas Muller says that his Germany teammate Leroy Sane is "now mature enough" to be one of Die Mannschaft's key players in the future, with the help of his international teammates.

Despite an excellent 2017/18 season with Premier League champions Manchester City, Sane was surprisingly left out of Joachim Low's squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

That decision backfired when Germany crashed out in the group stages, and Sane is now back in the fold. He returned for last week's UEFA Nations League match against France, though he missed the friendly against Peru on Sunday because his wife was in labour.

Sane is yet to start for Manchester City so far this season, with question marks over his attitude according to some reports, but Muller has backed him to become one of Germany's key players in the years ahead.

"He’s an exceptional player with the type of ability that only a few can bring," the Bayern Munich man told Sport1. "I think he’s now mature enough and I trust him a lot going forward.

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"We have to help him produce his performances in the national team. Everyone’s required to do so, not only Leroy."

Muller's sentiments echo those of Toni Kroos, who claimed that Sane has "everything you need to be a world class player", though he did admit that Sane's body language and attitude is in need of improvement.

Sane has made 13 appearances for Germany since making his debut in 2015, and is yet to score at international level.