"Unique": Klinsmann pays tribute to Müller on his departure

Jürgen Klinsmann (right) brought Thomas Müller to the pros in 2008. imago sportfotodienst

by Jürgen Klinsmann

During my coaching year at FC Bayern in 2008/09, I would often go to the side pitch where our amateurs trained after our training sessions. Their assistant coach was my idol , Gerd Müller , and I asked Gerd if he had any talented players for us. He immediately said he had several, but one in particular stood out: Thomas Müller . Together with Uli Hoeness , we then looked at the amateurs and decided to promote Thomas and Holger Badstuber to the first team immediately.

What immediately stood out was his incredible game intelligence, his ability to anticipate where the ball would go, and his ability to read his teammates. His technique is outstanding, whether with his right or left foot, with his head, no matter how, he always looks for the direct route to goal. He thinks two steps ahead and is in the right place at the right moment. His goal-scoring instinct and coolness are unparalleled. He never lets a missed chance throw him off balance and is always thinking about the next opportunity to score or assist.

His positive thinking and his hunger to always think about the next goal are the foundation for his many titles. He is an absolute godsend for every coach and every club.

I hope he sticks around for a few more years and, of course, that he considers the US adventure. He has everything he needs to further develop football in the US, like Lionel Messi or Marco Reus . He would certainly enjoy it, and I naturally hope that if he does, he'll head to Los Angeles.