Thomas Müller’s companions on road to Bayern appearance record: Rummenigge, Neuer, Lewandowski

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 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Müller is a “Bavarian icon”; Manuel Neuer thinks “there are hardly any players who come close to him”; and Robert Lewandowski calls him the “perfect multitasker” - here is the first episode of the three-part series about Thomas Müller's career companions.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

Our long-time CEO once coined the phrase that you would have to carve Thomas Müller if he didn't exist. Here he explains what he meant.

When I was once asked who I would have carved as a Bayern player, I spontaneously said: “I would go to the fabled woodcarvers of Oberammergau, and they would produce Thomas Müller.” Thomas comes from the Munich area, came through all the youth teams, grew up here and speaks to the fans from the heart, both on and off the pitch. The fans love identification figures like him. We have to be grateful to Louis van Gaal for having the courage to put his trust in him. That's what we want from a coach, to support and promote youth. Müller fulfilled and continues to fulfil all the criteria we want. I also always say that he is one of the most affordable players ever. He's never injured, you don't need a back-up for him and, to be honest, there's no substitute for him either, because he's unique in the way he plays.

In my eyes, Thomas is right up there with club icons such as Franz Beckenbauer or Gerd Müller. After all, it's no coincidence that FC Bayern enjoyed the most successful decade in the club's history with him. Thomas can have no complaints at the end of his career, because he always got 100 percent out of his talent. Thomas is not only carved from really good wood in terms of character; real craftsmanship made in Bavaria. He is a Bavarian icon, the likes of which will never be seen again.

Manuel Neuer

Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller have been teammates at Bayern for around 13 years, have been captains since 2017 and have played together more often than anyone else.

What makes Thomas special? That he has the Bayern DNA in him. He's a guy who always wants to win. I don't think I know any other footballer who’s as ambitious as he is, who also learns so many things so quickly. No matter what game you present him with, he can do it in no time at all. Thomas is simply a winner. You need players like that.

Thomas epitomises communication like no other. He keeps the boys on track by talking a lot on the pitch and thinking strategically, especially in terms of how we attack and defend together in attack. When we played without spectators during the Covid-19 era, everyone watching on TV realised how much Thomas communicates during a game. That was a very important factor, especially in the knockout matches in Lisbon when we won the Champions League. In recent years, Thomas has also learnt to listen more and more. He pays a lot of attention to others and takes others with him. He is very lively and can respond well to those in front of him.

Thomas also has a knack for timing. He has a nose for being in the right areas and making the right decisions. And he can read the opposition goalkeeper. I always really enjoy the challenges against him in training. Off the pitch, we both talk a lot about the things that are important at FC Bayern, the things that drive us. He wears his heart on his sleeve and jabs his finger in the wound. Thomas is someone who is very honest and direct. His Bavarian mentality corresponds to my Ruhr mentality. Thomas epitomises an era at FC Bayern. We won the Champions League twice and won 11 Bundesliga titles in a row. Without Müller, with his qualities as a footballer and his character, none of that would have been possible. That's why he holds the highest status for me, not only at Bayern but also with the Germany national team, where we won the World Cup together in 2014. There are hardly any players who come close to Thomas Müller.

Basically, I'm very happy to have played in a team with Thomas for so long. He always has a joke and keeps everyone in a good mood. I think he's the player who has the most jokes memorised. He looks bizarre in some of the celebration photos and there are funny dances he does at title parties. I have so many moments with him that I look back on fondly, and I think there will be more to come.

Robert Lewandowski

Our former striker scored 344 goals for FC Bayern - often set up by his strike partner. Nobody has benefited more often from Thomas Müller's inimitable instinct.

Thomas fascinated me as a strike partner in many ways. Most of all, he is the perfect multitasker. He talks through almost the entire game and gives commands. But his calls never distracted him from finding the optimal free space himself. That's something I've only seen from him. He's fully committed to the team. And although he speaks so much, we still understood each other without words in the decisive moments, which is another thing I really appreciated about Thomas. All it takes is one look, one movement, and the other player knows exactly what's about to happen.

When I think about our relationship, two words come to mind: unique and honest. He is the kind of teammate you could only wish for, who is also happy for his teammates from the bottom of his heart. I remember the incredible game when I scored five goals in nine minutes against Wolfsburg. When the game was over, I hadn't even realised what had just happened. Thomas came up to me and said: “You've just achieved something unique; people will still be talking about it in 20 years’ time. Please enjoy it and celebrate.” - And then he pushed me towards the fans in the south stand.

Speaking of celebrations, he can also go all out and set the tone. We celebrated one of his birthdays together at H'ugo's, and the evening is definitely one of my favourite ‘Müller moments’. I wish for Thomas that his intelligence and knowledge will become the foundation of his club after his career ends, because I’m certain Bayern is the future of Thomas Müller - and Thomas Müller is the future of Bayern.

Here are some facts & figures on Müller’s record-breaking career: