WOLFSBURG, Germany (Reuters) -Germany central defender Jonathan Tah said a player's decision on which national team they choose to represent must be a decision from the heart.
The question of Germany-developed players who opt to represent other countries is back in the spotlight after Germany youth international Ibrahim Maza recently announced his decision to play with the Algerian national team.
The 19-year-old Bayer Leverkusen forward is the latest footballer who has decided not to play for Germany despite being developed as a youth and senior player there, with German federation (DFB) bosses repeatedly saying there should be financial compensation for developing these players.
Other recent cases include Bavarian-born Can Uzun, who chose to play for Turkey's senior team last year.
Tah, who could have played for the Ivory Coast because of his father, said he had decided early on to stick with Germany, a decision he felt very comfortable with.
"For everyone it is an individual decision and everyone sees it differently. For me it is a decision of the heart," Tah told a press conference ahead of Germany's last two World Cup qualifiers.
"It did not take long. It happened when I was 17 (and was approached by the Ivory Coast). I quickly said no. I was going through all the German national youth teams and I wanted to play for Germany. It was an individual decision and I see it as a decision of the heart."
The 29-year-old Tah, who has earned 41 caps, is expected to add two more in the coming days with Germany traveling to Luxembourg on Friday before hosting Slovakia in their final World Cup qualifiers, and desperate for two straight wins that will secure their spot in next year's tournament.
Germany are top of Group A, ahead of second-placed Slovakia on goal difference. Northern Ireland are third on six, with Luxembourg bottom without a point. The group winners earn automatic World Cup qualification while the second-placed team go into a playoff in March.
Asked whether he had any doubts that Germany would top their group, Tah said: "No, that's the quick answer."
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
