Moukoko on debate on his age: 'In the end I don't care'

Former teenage football sensation Youssoufa Moukoko has said he has struggled in connection with doubts on his age during in his career.

Moukoko told Denmark's TV2 he was surprised how some people "do anything to get attention. People are always trying to find something out about me and then write a story about it.

"In the end I don't care. They can just continue," he said. "Maybe I will make my own documentary one day."

There have been various reports over the years that the now 20-year-old Moukoko was older than officially stated.

It started when he made headlines by scoring freely in academy teams and persisted after his first-team debut at age 16 for Borussia Dortmund and two years later for the German national team.

A TV documentary last year included a birth certificate which included his alleged age and original last name. Dortmund refuted the allegations several times, also referring to official documents from German authorities.

Moukoko has left Dortmund for good after a loan spell at French club Nice, now playing at Danish club Copenhagen.

The forward said that problems on the pitch also affected him.

"I did cry and thought 'How do I get out of this' and 'When will it get better?'" he said.

"There are many who might just say ‘everything's fine’ when they've had a hard time. But I want to talk about it openly. Sometimes you have to learn to cry out for help."