JEROME BOATENG is heading to his third World Cup – and would love to repeat the triumph of 2014.
The Bayern Munich man is Joachim Low’s rock at the back and has now racked up over 70 caps in a German shirt.
Why does Jerome Boateng play for Germany when his brother plays for Ghana?
BOATENG was a regular feature throughout German youth sides, representing the U19 and U21 sides a total of 32 times.
Born to a German mother and a Ghanain father, he grew up in Berlin and is the younger half-brother of Kevin-Prince Boateng.
Eligible for both Germany and Ghana, the Bayern man has never actually visited the African nation and chose to represent the country of his birth.
Kevin-Prince Boateng – who shares a father with Jerome – was also born in Berlin, but instead played his international football for Ghana.
He actually represented Germany through their youth teams, but told the authorities there in 2009 that he was no longer interested in playing for them after a reported argument with under-21 boss Dieter Eilts.
Boateng was granted a Ghanian passport in 2010 which enabled him to switch his alliance later that year – and it was revealed shortly after that the Ghana FA had been in touch as early as 2006 to see if he would make the change.
The ex-Spurs player when on to gain 14 caps and scored twice – and made it to the World Cup in 2010 and 2014.
Source: The Sun