Created on 28-12-2010 at 00:00 AM
On his own admission, the events of the year 2010 have taken Thomas Müller by surprise. At any rate, he has yet to invest in a trophy cabinet for his home, so the Golden Boot is simply sitting on a chest of drawers in the hallway for now. Müller’s staggering ascent to near-superstar status in his first full year as a professional footballer is possibly unique in the long history of the game, and is certainly a story of fairytale proportions. “Such a lot has happened, starting with the trophies we won at club level, and then what we achieved as a national team,” the 21-year-old reflected in a recent interview, “It's been an almost unbelievable first year as a pro.”
The highlights in Müller’s marvellous year include the Bundesliga title, a DFB Cup triumph, an appearance in the Champions League final, third place at the World Cup, and the awards for top scorer and Best Young Player at the global showdown in South Africa. “It's incredibly tough to pick out a single most memorable moment. It's hard to say whether it was better to play at the World Cup or in the Champions League final, or whether winning the double was the best of the lot. I just enjoyed all of the big moments,” the player said.
Scorer points aplenty
He himself provided a wealth of highlights for the fans to enjoy. Müller appeared in all 54 of Bayern’s competitive fixtures in 2010, starting 50 of them and ending with 33 scorer points (18 goals, 15 assists). “He’s very aware of his positioning and knows where to find his team-mates and the ball,” commented Louis van Gaal, who has deployed the versatile forward on the left and right of midfield, in the hole behind the front man, and at centre-forward. “It's unbelievable what he’s achieved as such a young player. It shows he has tremendous mental and physical strength,” the coach declared.