German Sperling’s sterling skills due to strong Dutch influence

In the limelight: German striker Florian Sperling (left) is turning out to be one of the revelations for his team at the Junior World Cup. — MHC

KUALA LUMPUR: Florian Sperling comes from a nation renowned for structural play built on solid defence and this meant the German player had to look elsewhere for inspiration to hone his skills as a striker.

Having grown up watching Dutch striker Jeroen Hertzberger, who has 267 caps and scored 187 goals from 2007-2021, Sperling has picked up the traits of his favourite player and has been making his mark at the ongoing Junior World Cup.