Bayern Munich legend defined not only a position but an entire way of thinking about the game
It’s 17 years since Thomas Müller made his debut for Bayern. Since then he has played 751 games for the club, scoring 248 goals, while also scoring 45 goals in 131 games for Germany. He has won 13 Bundesliga titles, two Champions Leagues and a World Cup. He will retire at the end of the Club World Cup after a career played entirely at the highest level and yet still nobody has been able to quite work out what he is.
Is he a centre-forward? Is he a false 9? Is he a wide forward, a second striker, an attacking midfielder? Is he all of those things, none of those things or some of those things some of the time? Louis van Gaal loved him; Pep Guardiola never seemed quite so sure.
Written by Jonathan Wilson
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jun/14/auf-wiedersehen-thomas-muller-germanys-dreammaker-who-found-goals-in-space under the title “Auf wiedersehen, Thomas Müller, Germany’s dreammaker who found goals in space | Jonathan Wilson”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
