Dortmund boss reveals USMNT wonderkid Mathis Albert was "very close" to first Bundesliga start against Union

Lars Ricken has revealed that Mathis Albert was "very close" to making his first Bundesliga start for Borussia Dortmund at the weekend.

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Having made two appearances for Borussia Dortmund this season, Mathis Albert is pushing for more regular minutes with the Black and Yellows.

As Dortmund managing director for sport Lars Ricken revealed ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League game against Sabah FK, the 17-year-old was in contention to make his first Bundesliga start against 1. FC Union Berlin at the weekend.

“I think he was very close to starting,” Ricken said in an interview with Ruhr24.

Ultimately, however, the youngster played just 20 minutes after coming on as a substitute in the 0-0 draw.

“Coming into a game like that, which was quite disjointed, is naturally not easy for such a young player,” Ricken said.

Albert, who made his debut for the United States last month, has been linked with European heavyweights such as Manchester City, and this comes as little surprise to Ricken.

“We’ve known for some time that he is a good, talented player,” he said.

“When we signed Mathis, all the big clubs were already after him. His appearances for the national team have naturally brought him even more attention.”