Cor, Blarney: Germany’s Super Mario shone here first

All good international careers must begin somewhere, but the scorer of Germany’s World Cup-winning goal shone early as a teenager in two of his first international appearances in Cork and Kerry.

His part in the 2008 clashes with Republic of Ireland’s under-16s won the attention of local sports reporters, significantly contributing to a 1-0 German win in Blarney in front of fewer than 1,000 spectators on the night of Tuesday, April 8, 2008.

“Germany were playing some champagne football, with classy, central midfielder, Mario Goetze, mesmerising the Irish defence with some exquisite play,” wrote Robert Nodwell for the next morning’s Irish Examiner.