Great start for Muller, but how does he improve on that?

At a time when player loyalty is more questionable than it has ever been it was heartening to read what Bayern Munich youngster Thomas Muller said in an interview with BILD newspaper yesterday.

“The most important thing for me is continuing my career and making the most of my chances at Bayern Munich. If I am getting better, Bayern will also be getting better. That is why I do not spend my time thinking about a transfer. I would be glad if I could remain a player of Bayern Munich for the next 10 years overall. If someone would come up with this, I am going to sign that paper. Everyone is glad when their boss wants to hand out a raise in wages. I am, too. What I like most about this is that my debut season in the professional game is going up in the club’s estimation. This is an honour for me.”

Impressing

The twenty year old Muller is back in Germany after impressing for his national team at the World Cup where he scored five goals in six games, picked up the Golden Boot and helped Germany to third place in the tournament.

That tournament was a fantastic end to what was an amazing season for the young player who can play as an attacking midfielder, a striker or on either wing.

Worked

Muller went to Bayern Munich in 2000 aged just ten. He worked his way up through the age group teams at the club and in March 2008 made his debut for the clubs reserve team. In 2008-09 season he became a regular in the reserves and scored fifteen goals in thirty-two games. Also in that season he made his first team debut, playing in four Bundesliga games and coming on as a substitute and scoring in a Champions League game against Sporting.

Until the season that has just passed, that was the extent of Thomas Muller’s senior career. It seems remarkable that he can now add Bundesliga champions medal, German Cup winners medal, Champions League runners-up medal, third place World Cup medal, World Cup Golden Boot winner, World Cup’s best young player award, eight full international caps and five international goals to his CV.

Signed

Muller only signed his first senior contract prior to the 2009-10 season. He started off a substitute but impressed when he came on in the first few games and then won the Bundesliga player of the month award for September. He went on to appear in all thirty-four Bundesliga games, starting twenty-nine of them and scoring thirteen goals. He was also credited with eleven assists, making a huge contribution to their title win.

In all competitions, in what was his first season at senior level, he played fifty-two games and scored nineteen goals. He was voted by his fellow Bundesliga players as the top ‘rising star’ of the season.

Best

To become a regular international player and then finish off the season by achieving what he did at the World Cup, must make this all add up to one of the best first seasons any player has ever had.

At twenty, Muller is already married to his long term girlfriend and he is likely to be offered a new contract by his club despite already having one that keeps him at the Allianz Arena until 2013. He is an established international star and seems to have his feet absolutely firmly on the ground.

Problem

If Bayern Munich and Germany can look after this young man then he is going to have a quite fabulous career. The only problem he may face is that how on earth does he ever have a better season than the one he has already had?