At 20, Bella-Kotchap has earned a spot for Germany in Qatar

It was a moment to remember for Armel Bella-Kotchap earlier this year.  His phone showed a caller's telephone number he didn' t recognize. And these days, who answers the phone when you can't see who is calling?

Hansi Flick was in luck.  Bella-Kotchap pressed the green answer button on his mobile phone and almost got a little fright when he heard who replied on the other end of the line.

"I was very surprised," said the 20-year-old. "But I was also very happy."

Flick called Bella-Kotchap up to the national team for the first time ahead of the final round of fixtures in the Nations League group stage as Germany faced Hungary and England. The youngster made it into the 3-3 draw with England. 

And this week, he got the call again, this time to join the German side on the final 26-man roster for the Qatar World Cup. Flick opted for youth over experience by picking Bella-Kotchap over veteran Mats Hummels. 

When asked by DW in September for his assessment of the up-and-coming defensive talent, Flick said: "We're not planning on putting him in the starting lineup just yet, but he's made a good impression and has operated with confidence."

"His time at Southampton (Saints in the Premier League) has served him well and his style of play is certainly good for us," continued Flick. "He loves executing his defensive duties when it comes to putting in challenges and protecting the goal. He's made a good impression, not just with the coaches, but with the players as well.."

Son of a Cameroon international

Bella-Kotchap will be a familiar name to anyone who followed VfL Bochum’s return to the Bundesliga last season. There, he took his first steps among Germany’s elite and immediately established himself as a first-team regular, going on to play an integral role in Bochum avoiding relegation. His performances even caught the eye of Lothar Matthäus, who made more appearances for West Germany and Germany than any other.In his role as a pundit, Matthäus put forward Bella Kotchap as a player that Bayern Munich could look to when replacing Dortmund-bound Niklas Süle.

After only 22 Bundesliga appearances, his journey instead took him to the English Premier League as he signed for Southampton under Austrian head coach Ralph Hasenhüttl.

"If you look at his physical qualities, he fits perfectly in the Premier League. That's what we were hoping for," Hasenhüttl said.

His progress with the Saints has maintained the steep trajectory and underlines just how far the youngster has come.  

The son of the former Cameroon international Cyrille Florent Bella, who himself played in Germany for 11 years, Bella-Kotchap was born in Paris in December 2001. Through his father's nationality, he also has Cameroonian citizenship. After his family settled in the small town of Neuss near Düsseldorf, Bella-Kotchap began working single-mindedly on his career. From a local club in Neuss, he first went to nearby Borussia Mönchengladbach, later moving to MSV Duisburg and then to Bochum. Now he has arrived on the big stage. 

I'm the youngest here and I still have a lot to learn," said Bella-Kotchap in September, still a little shy upon his arrival at the DFB's team quarters in Gravenbruch on the outskirts of Frankfurt. Head coach Flick said that Bella-Kotchap "has recently shown very good performances at Southampton, has developed very well."

It seemed Bella-Kotchap’s hopes of making it to the World Cup were dashed when he dislocated his shoulder in an October draw with West Ham. But after three weeks on the sidelines, he returned to action at 100 percent. 

Up against the best attackers

During his time with the national team, Bella-Kotchap was hoping to convince the coaching staff with his performances in training.

"I'm playing with players here who are playing at a very high level," said the newcomer, almost somewhat bravely. 

"I'm proud to be here."

This article was translated from German and updated on November 11.