A tribute to Thomas Müller

It isn’t hard to find hundreds of Thomas Müllers in German-speaking countries. In fact, 90 of Bayern’s over 400,000 members are called Thomas Müller. One of those is the man who’s been delighting supporters for 25 years on the pitch. Somebody who is right up there with the greats of this club, alongside icons like Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Sepp Maier, Uli Hoeneß, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and all the rest. Somebody who will forever be Thomas Müller. Somebody who will forever be one of us.

Nevertheless, he’s unique, an icon, a club legend. His career path can’t be found in any textbook. He scores goals that sometimes looked physically impossible. Müller was never a footballing prodigy like Lionel Messi or a built like Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s maximum efficiency on the pitch that’s made Müller what he is. Müller has twice won the treble, has lifted the World Cup, is a record 13-time Bundesliga champion because he’s always müllered his way through, getting to the ball with any body part necessary, driven on by unwavering ambition and desire to win that no teammate can escape, that drags the entire team forward sooner or later.

Born in Weilheim, raised in Pähl am Ammersee, Müller possesses something that has almost died out in modern football. Authenticity. Müller doesn’t pretend to be something he’s not. Müller is exactly what you get on the tin – down to earth, direct, funny, also a contradiction, but always genuine. He’s that Bavarian mix of warmth, mischievousness and charm, disarming and refreshing. A footballer with all his heart who is also loved outside of Bayern circles because of what he embodies: family warmth, down-to-earth humour and unconditional identification. Mia san mia – the values that also form the foundation of his Bayern.

Cheerfulness and ease above all

Müller was never the fastest, never the one with the best foot, not the one who dribbles opponents into a spin with three oversteps. And yet his trophy cabinet is packed full. “Thomas has got everything out of his abilities,” said an appreciative Rummenigge. And the man who discovered Müller, coach Hermann Gerland, added: “Nobody could have predicted Thomas’ career. If someone stands up and says, ‘I knew that’, they're lying.”

Müller is a mix of instinct, intelligence and an irrepressible will. And above all this, no matter how tense the situation, there’s an authentic cheerfulness and ease that has always fuelled him, even in really big games. Müller knows where the ball is going before the ball itself does. His strength is his intuitive, lightning-fast recognition of the situation in the penalty area. His sense for the goal is a product of understanding the game, experience and the courage to go where it hurts. Müller opens up spaces that nobody sees. “If Messi is a magician, Thomas is the top hat. You never know what surprise will come out,” described former Germany coach Joachim Löw.

With his last Champions League game in a Bayern shirt in the incessant rain in Milan, Müller's 163rd in Europe’s elite club competition, he equalled Messi's appearance total. Only Ronaldo (183) and Iker Casillas (177) have feature more often. Coach Pep Guardiola said that Müller embodies a speciality in world football that no longer exists today. After goals, other scorers run to the fans and the corner flag to be celebrated. “Thomas runs off to hug his teammates.”

That’s because Müller never takes himself more seriously than the game. He can laugh at himself. He speaks the way he plays – directly, unaffectedly, effectively. Because he shows us you don't have to be a high-flyer from an early age. If you have heart, mind and a great will, then you can achieve anything. In a world where some professionals seem interchangeable, Müller is unmistakable.

Dreams from a small village

Müller has also become a legend because, for all his elusive extra class, he has always remained human. Because he shows us that big dreams can also come from small villages, and that they can be realised with character, diligence, meticulousness and will.

Thomas, thank you for 25 years of Bayern.