With the nominees for 2019 The Best Fifa Men's Player of the Year award being named on Wednesday, one former World Player of the Year has claimed a Bundesliga wonderkid could be in line to win the title in the near future.
Read: Fifa Announce Shortlist For The Best Men's Player Award, Including Two Africans
Having won the award in 1991 and led West Germany to Fifa World Cup glory, Lothar Matthaus knows talent when he sees it, and the German legend has now tipped one of his countrymen to one day claim the coveted Best FIFA Men's Player of the year prize.
Speaking to kicker, the former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan midfielder shared his belief that Bayer Leverkusen youngster Kai Havertz has the potential to follow in his footsteps.
"He has set the bar very high – for me, he was the player of the season," Matthaus told the German publication.
"If Havertz can maintain this high standard, with his natural talent, cleverness, presence on the pitch, and goal threat, then he could someday follow me as World Footballer of the Year."
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Havertz is not one of this year's nominees, but was a key player for Leverkusen last season as the club finished fourth in the Bundesliga and qualified for the Uefa Champions League.
The 20-year-old scored 17 top-flight goals from midfield and was voted the league's second-best player, behind Borussia Dortmund forward Marco Reus.
Read: German Player Of The Year Announced
Havertz's 2018/19 goalscoring return also saw him break the Bundesliga's record for the most goals scored by a teenager in a single Bundesliga campaign.
Does Havertz have the potential to be football's next global superstar? Let us have your thoughts by commenting below.
