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US boss Klinsmann keen to impress Bayern Munich kid Green

USA national team manager Juergen Klinsmann is hoping the squad's get-together in Frankfurt early this week serves as a good platform to impress talented youngster Julian Green.

The 18-year old Tampa-born attacker is also eligible to play for Germany after moving to the country with his American father and German mother as a two-year old.

Green, who has accepted an invitation to join the US senior team, has represented Germany at U16, U17 and U19 level and also the States at U18 level but Klinsmann is hoping to win him over as he prepares his side for Wednesday's friendly with Ukraine in Cyprus.

"We are thrilled Julian accepted our invitation and comes into these two days in Frankfurt," he told ussoccer.com.

"We want to show him how things work with the United States team and with our environment. We want him to meet the players, to meet the staff, obviously to meet us coaches, and we want him to feel comfortable in our environment.

"With a lot of players who come through the ranks with dual citizenship, it's going to be very difficult for those kids to choose which country they want to play for if they have this enormous talent to play at the highest level possible.

"Julian has this talent. Julian is an exceptional talent not only because he's playing for Bayern Munich, but he's shown that already over the past two years in the senior team environment there against the 'older guys'.

"We are happy to welcome him for those two days. It's a big step for him as we try to emotionally connect him to our program, because it's not only a World Cup coming up this summer. Next year there's a Gold Cup, then you have an Olympics, then you have Confederations Cup hopefully and soon comes the next World Cup around the corner in Russia.

"At the same time we have our eyes on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, we also have our eyes on developing the next generation of players, and Julian is a very important part of that."

Green has been in fine form for Bayern's reserves this season, scoring 15 goals in 19 outings in the Regionalliga, in German football's fourth tier.

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Andrew Slevison
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