Under-17 world champion Brunner set for professional Dortmund deal

Borussia Dortmund are poised to offer Germany Under-17 World Cup winner Paris Brunner a professional contract.

The forward was named player of the tournament in Indonesia in November and December as Germany won the age group title for the first time.

Head of youth development at Dortmund, Lars Ricken, told the Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper on Thursday: "Of course, we are no longer talking about a development contract for Paris. We have a clear plan for him. We've discussed it with him and his family. It's clear that his quality will make him a professional prospect."

Brunner's first professional contract is likely to be offered on his 18th birthday on February 15. He has already been in the Dortmund first-team squad after winning the U-17 World Cup.

Ricken praised Brunner's resilience in the face of some tough tackling from opponents given his silky skills.

"The way he's developed over the last few months, he'll be able to handle it well," predicted former 1997 Champions League winner Ricken.

He also hailed Brunner for his attitude after returning from the World Cup at the beginning of December. Dortmund had suspended the player for disciplinary reasons ahead of the tournament before clear-the-air talks.

"It was important for us to get it out of the way before the World Cup. We didn't want to take that away from him," Ricken added.