Klopp: Füllkrug's impact at Werder Bremen is astonishing

Why did Klopp call Füllkrug back to the national team? On Thursday, the Germany coach explained his reasons and also described when he first spoke with the Werder Bremen striker.

Many people thought Klopp had already ruled Füllkrug out. "Füllkrug is scoring goals one after another in the Bundesliga, but he's 33. That's not my fault," the Germany coach said at halftime of the Champions League match between Bayern and Arsenal on October 22. However, that turned out not to be a definitive rejection.

On Thursday, Füllkrug was named in Klopp's 24-man squad for the Nations League matches against Serbia and the Netherlands, while Walter Madl and Jonathan Burkardt were left out. The Bundesliga's top scorer returns to the squad after more than a year, though he will be 35 by the time the 2028 European Championship comes around.

In a video interview released by the German Football Association, Klopp explained: "Being in good form and constantly scoring goals is never a bad thing. Füllkrug has been outstanding, scoring all kinds of goals, almost all of them brilliant. His influence on the game at Werder Bremen is astonishing, not just because of his goals but because of his style of play. With the experience he brings, that's certainly very helpful. He's a positive person in general, but not every stage of a career allows you to influence a team like this. That's how it is for him at Bremen."

What about his comments in October? "I'm not entirely happy with everything I said in that halftime interview. But what I said about Füllkrug then was simply the truth." He then thought: "We've said so much about each other already, so now we can talk face-to-face. So we did, and it was well before the squad was announced."

Klopp said it was the first time he and Füllkrug had a real conversation. "Some people are in the media a lot, and everyone feels they already know them. That's probably true of me for many people too. It's the same for the two of us, even though we didn't actually know each other. But it was a very pleasant conversation, with no promises made. I just told him: we are, of course, watching, and we have, of course, seen what you're doing."

As for Füllkrug's age? "If the European Championship were tomorrow, we would certainly take him, no doubt about it. From that perspective, this call-up was relatively easy. In short, it was a pleasure to make the decision and a pleasure to tell him."

Füllkrug is now set to win his 25th cap for Germany. He has scored 14 goals for the national team so far.