Bayern Munich youth academy product Thomas Müller rose to the top and stayed there for a long time. He is stepping down from his role as in-house-legend and mentor from the German national team. Rudi Völler, a man closely associated with the DfB and the coach who took Germany to the 2002 World Cup final, had incredible words regarding the retirement of the Golden Boot winner of the 2010 World Cup and the Silver Ball plus Silver Boot winner of the 2014 World Cup per @iMiaSanMia.
“Nobody is like Thomas Müller. His value for German football cannot be overestimated. Whether in all his years at FC Bayern or with the national team – with Thomas, every team has always had a face, an exemplary character, in addition to a top player. His game is unorthodox, intuitive, unpredictable and that is exactly why it is successful,” said Völler. “Unfortunately, I only really got to know him at the end of his national team career. The way he led the way at the European Championships, the way he helped, supported and motivated the other players, that was impressive. In the five weeks we were together at the training camp, Thomas was a very important factor for the group, a wonderful tournament player.”
Völler said that he will always remember Müller’s last international goal.
“For me — and maybe for him too — it’s a nice memory that he scored his last international goal during the game where I was in charge as coach against France in Dortmund last September. I had put him in the starting line-up and Thomas delivered after just four minutes and turned the previously strained atmosphere between fans and team in our direction. That’s another characteristic of him: he is there when you need him. Thomas is continuing with Bayern – we will miss him at the DFB,” Völler remarked.
Völler got it right in a way very few can! That match against France represented all that Germany well. And Müller was at the heart of it all.