Thomas Müller played his 710th competitive match for the FC Bayern first team on Sunday, surpassing Sepp Maier (709 appearances) as the sole record holder for the club. A few weeks ago, members magazine ‘51’ spoke to companions who all have a very special connection with the 34-year-old. For Pep Guardiola, Müller is "one of the greatest players in the history of football". Hermann Gerland thinks "there's something missing when Thomas isn't there", and Miroslav Klose is convinced "Thomas just understands football" – here is the second episode of the three-part series about Thomas Müller's career companions.
Hermann Gerland
The Tiger has known Thomas Müller for as long as hardly anybody else at FC Bayern and coached him when he still was a reserves player.
Mr Gerland, you coached Thomas Müller in his youth. What makes him so special?
"There's something missing when Thomas Müller isn't there. It's always been like that. He's been scoring goal after goal since he was young – but that's only part of his outstanding skills. Thomas has a gift: the right intuition, on and off the pitch. An incredibly clever person, a gift for every team, every club."
Could you elaborate on his skills?
"It's his intuition. A unique intuition for the situation at hand. You can't explain it, you can't learn it. You can't confront him on the pitch, and he always knows exactly what to do off the pitch too. I remember him when he was young: Thomas and David Alaba always pushed. Such players have a positive mindset in every training session and infect the whole team with it. Others hung their heads for minutes after a bad pass. After a poor performance, Thomas would say: 'Tiger, I'll turn in a top display in the next match!' That's the right mindset for success. He confirms my view that it pays off to train hard in your youth. People who look at Thomas tend to think he'd collapse after two metres. As if. More than 700 appearances as an FC Bayern pro, that says everything!"
What's his place in international top-class football?
"Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo play spectacularly. Thomas Müller plays unspectacularly but incredibly well! Not only has he been among the international top players for almost two decades, he's also player like no other. Nobody could foresee this career, but Thomas Müller absolutely deserves his place in the history of FC Bayern and football alongside Munich legends like Franz Beckenbauer or Gerd Müller. Thomas Müller represents the modern FC Bayern."
Miroslav Klose
Müller made his Bundesliga debut on 15 August 2008, when he came on for Miro Klose after 78 minutes in the match against HSV.
Miro, what were your thoughts when the young Thomas Müller joined the pros for the 2008 pre-season?
"Thomas didn't exactly look like a footballer (laughing). He was inconspicuous at the beginning, his style of play wasn't as multifaceted as it is today. But we quickly got along very well because our perspective on football is similar. Over all the years, one look was often enough because we both saw something with the defender."
What does Thomas Müller have that others don't have?
"Thomas has the full package. A superb nose, he can set up goals or score himself. He knows how to exploit space. He has a knack for timing to attack space, and he puts in legwork for his teammates. But the biggest compliment I can make him: Thomas just understands football."
He set up your milestone goal in the World Cup semi-final against Brazil in 2014.
"His assist wasn't that good, I needed two attempts to score (laughing). Seriously, I really liked playing with Thomas."
Do you have a special "Thomas Müller moment"?
"Ahead of the quarter-final in the 2010 World Cup, the Argentinians got off the bus dancing to music. They were noisy in the tunnel too, so Thomas turned around and said, I think I know we're in for something today. We all burst out laughing. He eased everything up with it, and the result is known [Germany won 4-0]. That's just how Thomas is. He always seems completely relaxed ahead of matches, he calls his wife in the dressing room. But he's fully focused from kick-off."
Pep Guardiola
The Spaniard was at FC Bayern from 2013 to 2016, overseeing more Müller matches than any other coach.
Have you encountered a player who's like Thomas Müller in your coaching career?
"No other player is like Thomas Müller! He's one of the greatest players in the history of FC Bayern and of football. Not only because of his many titles but also because he's fully focused when his team needs him."
Is Thomas Müller an underrated world star?
"No. Football fans from all over the world know how important he is on the pitch. He's a clever, unpredictable player who always knows where he has to go."
How was the work with him at Bayern?
"My start in Munich wasn't easy. Jupp Heynckes had done an incredible job, winning the treble. We travelled a lot and I tried to introduce new ideas. But Thomas was always positive and open-minded. He understood that we tried to build something lasting at Bayern."
What was your favourite moment with Thomas Müller?
"We were trailing 2-1 with one minute to go in the 2016 Champions League match against Juventus. He scored the equaliser to take the match to extra time. We went on to win 4-2. What impressed me the most about Thomas was how modest his celebrations are: When footballers score a goal today, they run off and celebrate themselves. Thomas is different, perhaps more generous, he mainly wants to hug his teammates after goals."
Rummenigge, Neuer, Lewandowski. Part 1 of Thomas Müller's companions:
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