by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The past year appears like a fairytale to Aleksandar Pavlovic. Having achieved his breakthrough 12 months ago, the 20-year-old youngster has become a vital force for his club Bayern Munich and the German national team.
Ahead of Bayern's Bundesliga game against Stuttgart on Saturday, he is on everyone's lips.
The Serbian-rooted German-born midfielder earned several caps after making his debut in the national team in September after a difficult decision.
The German and Serbian associations had delivered tempting offers to slip in their shirts.
In a 1-0 win against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League, Germany's coach Julian Nagelsmann realized his promises by appointing what is currently called the country's future midfield composition, with 23-year-old Angelo Stiller from Stuttgart playing alongside Pavlovic.
Both Nagelsmann and Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany praise Pavlovic's calmness and determination.
Twelve months ago, Pavlovic made his way into Bayern's first team squad as the transfer of Joao Palhinha from Fulham failed to materialize as the Premier League side refused the Portuguese's departure.
Playing along with German international Joshua Kimmich, the newcomer has turned into a driving force when it comes to the Bavarians' style of pushing forward.
Pavlovic might have proved his resilience after missing Euro 2024 and several international matches last summer due to illness. To allow a "thinking process," he rejected an offer from Serbia to play for the country of his father.
Bayern goalkeeper and former German international Manuel Neuer praised his teammate's routine game style "as you normally have to get in internationals, but he played as if it was his 50th appearance."
TV pundits such as the 2014 World Cup winner Christoph Kramer predicted an outstanding career for Pavlovic. "He is the perfect match for teams relying on a high ball possession style. His serenity is breathtaking considering his age," said Kramer.
Apart from accomplishing his starting eleven debut against the Netherlands, Pavlovic scored his first goal in the Germany shirt in their 5-0 Nations League win against Hungary, along with a general passing statistic of 92.67 percent.
While the promising midfielder seems to be heading for titles with Bayern, his national team choice makes him anticipate the 2026 World Cup. ■
