Germany World Cup winner Shkodran Mustafi talks Everton

Germany World Cup winner Shkodran Mustafi was released by Everton just two years ago

Defender Toffees' then-manager David Moyes let go in January 2012 moved to Italy and played his way into Joachim Low's squad for Brazil

Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi became a World Cup winner – just over two years after being released by Everton.

Mustafi, then 19, asked then-Everton boss David Moyes for a free transfer in January 2012 because he was not getting a game.

Italian club Sampdoria signed him and he played in three World Cup games for Germany until injury ended his World Cup campaign. But he still got a winner’s medal on Sunday night - and bears no grudge towards Everton.

Mustafi said: “I asked David Moyes to release me. They were a really professional club and they always thought about the players not themselves. That is unusual.

“They wanted to give the players the best opportunity and for me that was to move on and go somewhere where I could play."

The 22-year-old, whose only Everton first-team appearance was a 14-minute run-out as a sub in a Europa League match against BATE Borisov of Belarus in December 2009, added: “When you are not playing, you are not happy, but I understood that I was quite young and still learning.

"I just needed a new challenge and when I wasn’t playing I had to move on and play somewhere that would help me develop as a player.

“I took a step back to go to Serie B in Italy to make two steps forward and now I am here.

“I played my first games for the national team here at the World Cup. At the last moment I had been called up for the tournament and now I am lifting the trophy. It is unbelievable.”