The ball stuck to his feet the whole time.
The best things happen by accident.
Or, perhaps, come from sheer determination.
“We phoned everybody around and did not get any further”, remembered Carolin Musiala.
“One day we simply went to the stadium then and learned about a holiday camp.
“Jamal joined in, scored a few goals and got spotted by scouts.”
It was autumn 2010 when Carolin Musiala seized an opportunity to spend a few months abroad and study sociology at the University of Southampton.
Looking back, it could be safely argued, however, that it was her then seven-year-old son who made the most of that time.
Jamal, whose father comes from Nigeria, had already been highly regarded at his local football club TSV Lehnerz, based in the city of Fulda in central Germany.
“When he started, you could already see he was an exceptional talent“, his first coach, Branko Milenkovski, told the Osthessen-Zeitung back in 2011.
“He was ahead of his peers and always played a year above his age group.
“His strengths lie in his dribbling ability and pace. He would score four or five goals per game for us.”
At Southampton FC they were also impressed.
And not only them.
Young Jamal soon had three offers on the table. One from St Mary’s. The other two from Chelsea and Arsenal.
“We could not believe it at all”, recalled his mum whose education suddenly had to make way for his son’s own opportunities.
“We were simply overwhelmed. When Jamal found out, he even cried. For him, it was already a huge honour to be even invited.”
When the family, who had travelled to Southampton all together, returned to Fulda, only one decision could follow. In the spring of 2011 a life-changing move to London beckoned.
“We had to let it all go through our heads first”, Carolin admitted.
“We knew no rules nor conditions whatsoever. We had a careful look at the offers and then decided to which club Jamal would go.”
Chelsea were the destination.
“He just stood out then, for his ball-dribbling skills and the ability he had“, recently remembered Graham Castle, the Chelsea scout who spotted young Musiala.
“The ball stuck to his feet the whole time.
“Obviously they [Southampton] liked him. But I sold it to him to come up and have a look at our facilities and our coaching. When he got there, our coaching was levels above other places. It all fitted into place.
“Because it was towards the end of that season, our under-8s were already established. He went straight into a friendly game with Blackburn Rovers. From that, they took him on. They could see his ability. He was going around players for fun.”
It was not all about Jamal’s ability, though.
“When he used to do our technical sessions on a Tuesday night, he was absolute tops”, Brian Mustill, who coached Musiala at the under-8 and under-10 age groups, told the BBC.
“He was at the top end of the potential range.
“When he lost the ball [however], he did everything in his power to win it back.
“I remember we played Spurs away, and I think he scored six or seven on the day. But it was his desire to win the ball having lost it, his energy levels to win the ball back.
“He chased the whole length of the pitch to win it back and then go and beat the whole team again.”
Jamal would never waste his time.
In the picture: Jamal Musiala began his football career at Fulda-based TSV Lehnerz aged five (found here)
BREAKTHROUGH 