Wanner was 16 years and 15 days old when he stepped on to the field for Bayern Munich in a Bundesliga match against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
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Bayern Munich’s Paul Wanner entered the history book as he became the youngest player to feature for the club in a Bundesliga match. “Aged just 16 years and 15 days old – the left-footer celebrated his birthday on 23 December 2021 – Wanner came off the bench to replace Marc Roca in the 75th minute of Bayern’s Matchday 18 encounter at home to Borussia Mönchengladbach. He had seven touches of the ball in his 15 minutes on the pitch, completing 60 per cent of his passes and winning 40 per cent of all his duels, while covering 1.49 miles (2.4 kilometres) and reaching a top speed of 17.95 mph (28.9 kmh),” the Bundesliga website said.
The midfielder was born in the town of Amtzell in southern Germany. He started playing for Ravensburg before being scouted by the record German champions at the age of 14 in July 2020. He made appearances for the U16 side before being promoted to the U17 side due to his calibre in 2021/22. He likes to play attacking football and can operate centrally and on the wings.
Wanner displayed his prowess for the U17 side before breaking into the Germany U17 squad in August 2021. Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann picked him for the first team after a number of injuries and illness kept his key players out this week.
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“Wanner is an attacking midfielder most at home in central areas where he can thread a pass or drag a defender out of position. As a left-footer with a lean frame, outstanding close control and technique who seems to glide effortlessly over the pitch, there is more than a little bit of former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Kai Havertz is his game,” official Bundesliga website said.
“Wanner was with fellow Bayern academy player Arijon Ibrahimovic in Spain taking part in a Germany U17 training camp when he got the call to return to Munich and join up with the first team,” it added.
“It was a stressful trip for them,” Nagelsmann said of the teenage duo, after calling them up for Bayern’s squad for the Matchday 18 meeting with Gladbach. “But they’ll cope with it fine, as you’d expect from two 16-year-olds who have been asked to train with the senior team. We don’t need to wrap them up in cotton wool.”
Interestingly, it should also be noted that Wanner, is also the second-youngest player to feature in Bundesliga after arch-rival Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko, who was16 years and one day old while making his debut against Hertha Berlin in November 2020.
