Thursday 7 June 2018 16:51, UK
Leroy Sane will learn he needs to reproduce his Manchester City form for Germany after missing out on their World Cup squad, according to the competition's all-time top scorer Miroslav Klose.
Sane vowed to come back stronger after revealing his disappointment at his omission from Joachim Low's 23-man squad following an impressive campaign with Premier League winners Manchester City.
The 22-year-old scored 10 goals and provided 15 assists in 28 games for City during the season, and was named PFA Young Player of the Year, but Low said Sane "had not arrived in international matches yet" and opted to pick Julian Brandt instead.
Klose became a world champion with Germany in 2014 and has represented his nation at four World Cups in total.
Now a member of Low's coaching set-up, Klose said Sane will be left to reflect on his failure to replicate his club form at international level.
"It was a very close decision. I thought it was amazing how he reacted. He knows he has to draw conclusions from this. I am in good spirits that he will learn from this," Klose said at a press conference on Thursday ahead of Germany's friendly against Saudi Arabia.
"He is incredibly talented and brings with him an uncanny speed.
"With us he could not show what he did in the Premier League. He had many situations in training and during the games where he couldn't establish himself.
"It was a decision for Julian Brandt and not for Leroy."