Latics star Bullard set for Germany call-up?

By Alan G
March 19 2006

Wigan Athletic midfielder Jimmy Bullard has stated in The People he would happily accept a place in Jürgen Klinsmann's injury-hit Germany World Cup squad.

The 27 year old, who has also been touted by some people as an outside bet for the England squad, qualifies to play for Germany through his grandmother.

Bullard has been a key man in Latic's superb season, scoring two goals to help us advance to 8th in the Premiership and help fight for a place in Europe.

 

Germany boss Jürgen Klinsmann has today been hit by the news that midfielder Torsten Frings and striker Mike Hanke will both miss Germany's World Cup warm-up against the United States in Dortmund on Wednesday because of injury.

 

Frings hurt his calf in Werder Bremen's 3-1 Bundesliga defeat at Nuremberg on Saturday and Hanke suffered a bruised hip in VfL Wolfsburg's 1-O home defeat by Hamburg SV, the German Football Association said on Sunday.

 

Klinsmann, who was also informed on Saturday that Bayern Munich midfielder Sebastian Deisler would miss the World Cup due to knee surgery, will decide later on Sunday whether he will call any new players into his squad.

 

This opens the outside possibility of Bullard receiving a call-up for Germany.

 

"If there was a call I would definitely have to look at it," said Bullard.

 

"The paperwork has been sorted and if Jurgen rang I'd definitely be interested.

 

"I used to play with England midfielder Frank Lampard at West Ham and the chance to face him in the World Cup would be too good to turn down."

 

He added that he was happy playing for Latics at the moment: "I signed a three-year contract in the summer and I am enjoying every minute of it."