Andre Schurrle caused somewhat of a mini storm earlier today when he claimed that Wayne Rooney would not get into the Germany starting lineup.
The Chelsea attacker has since moved to clarify his comments, but it has got Sports Mole thinking nonetheless. Which players would make a combined team from using the talent pools available to England and Germany?
After some deliberation, below are the 11 who made the cut.
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In what was a two-horse race for this position, Germany's Neuer edged out England goalkeeper Joe Hart. Why? Well, both are fantastic shot-stoppers and are rightly considered to be among the best goalkeepers in world football. In light of recent events, though, Neuer for the time being at least is more dependable between the posts. All goalkeepers make errors, but Hart has produced more than his fair share of rickets in the past few months.
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Pep Guardiola has tested Lahm's versatility to the maximum at times this term by deploying him as a holding midfielder. Even so, he slots in at right-back here. The fact that the 30-year-old has made 104 appearances for a nation like Germany tells you all that you need to know. Lahm is a dependable defender, who is also capable of causing problems in the opposition's half. FIFA and UEFA have included him in the best teams from the last four tournaments.
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He may not be blessed with great pace, but Hummels's ability to read the game that is being played in front of him rarely sees him caught out. He established himself within the German team during last year's European Championships and has been impossible to budge ever since. A ball-playing centre-back, the 24-year-old also recently showed his eye for goal when he found the net during Friday's friendly clash with Italy.
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But for injury, Badstuber would have a lot more caps than 30 to his name. Knee complaints have limited the 24-year-old centre-back to just 18 appearances for Bayern Munich in the last 18 months, but before that, he was a key component for the Bavarian giants and the national side. The fact that Bayern handed him a new contract recently, despite the fact that he has been out of action for so long, highlights how highly he is rated.
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Like Neuer and Hart, there is not too much to split Baines and his England colleague Ashley Cole. Both are more than capable defenders, but it is in the attacking parts of the pitch where Baines excels. He showed during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers that he can set up his teammates - and for important goals as well, such as the cross that Rooney converted during the final group encounter against Poland.
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When Schweinsteiger broke into the Bayern side, he was a right winger. Over the years he has moved inside to take up a more central role. In turn, he has become one of the world's best in that position. The 29-year-old is an old fashioned type of midfielder in that he will not shirk a challenge, but he is also comfortable in possession. He'd also be battling with Baines for the set-piece duties.
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They say that a player often becomes more vital to his side when he is out injured for a long period of time. If that is the case, then we are about to see just how good Khedira is. He has picked up a knee ligament injury that has left him facing a race against time to be fit for next summer's World Cup. When available, the Real Madrid midfielder is one of the best in the business at what he does - breaking up play and picking out his more naturally gifted teammates.
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Perhaps the Tottenham Hotspur winger is just the flavour of the month where international football is concerned following impressive outings against Montenegro and Poland, but it was enough to convince us. As far as widemen go, Townsend has displayed high levels of consistency for both club and country this season. He can attack down towards the byline, but he is equally comfortable when cutting inside his marker. The 22-year-old is also not afraid to try his luck from distance.
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How do you pick between Mario Gotze, Marco Reus and Ozil? It's not a bad decision for any manager to have, is it? Arsenal's Ozil is given nod due to his experience at international level, because in terms of ability, there is not much to choose between the German trio. The 25-year-old rose to prominence during the 2010 World Cup, where he must have dealt Gareth Barry some nightmares as the England midfielder trudged along in his slip stream in Bloemfontein.
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He may not possess the same amount of flair that some of his Bayern and German teammates do, but they all appreciate Muller's quality. He is a tireless attacker who does not give defenders a moment's peace. That's not to say that he isn't a good footballer, because he clearly is - something that he showed at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa when he returned as the leading goalscorer with five goals, including two against England in the last 16.
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Sorry Schurrle, but Rooney would get in, at your expense it seems! The Manchester United frontman has a new lease of life under manager David Moyes and it has also benefited his country. He has scored six goals in nine outings for the Three Lions this year as he closes in on Sir Bobby Charlton's all-time goalscoring record. The 28-year-old is not just a poacher, though. Down the years he has shown that he is more than happy to drop deeper to get involved with the build-up play. The Germans do not have a striker of his type.
Written by
Liam Apicella
Liam Apicella
