Fifteen years after making his Bayern debut, Thomas Müller is a club legend and remains a key player for Vincent Kompany's side. In an exclusive interview with bundesliga.com, the former Germany international discussed his role in Der Rekordmeister's squad as well as the upcoming top-of-the-table clash against Bayer Leverkusen...

bundesliga.com: After a strong start to the season, the biggest test comes next as you face reigning champions Leverkusen. What can the fans look forward to?
Thomas Müller: "Firstly, fans should appreciate the two teams and the subsequent clash. Both teams are amongst the most exciting in the division. Internationally, Bayern have also been the biggest German team for many years, yet Leverkusen were able to topple us. You have to tip the hat to them. They broke records, but it is less about the records and more about the way they surpassed them. Given how Leverkusen play, the individual players they have and how they operate as a team, you know that every meeting with them will be really tough. Not only can they play good football, but they can also suffer. They never give up - the amount of late goals they score is crazy. Whenever they need something, they knock at the door until someone opens it, and there always seems to be someone who can provide the crucial moment. That is why I think this match will be exciting until the very end."

bundesliga.com: What are the keys to success against Leverkusen?
Müller: "We can approach this game in many ways. For example, should we concentrate on stopping their key players? Or should we focus on ourselves and our own tactics as we instead look to dominate the opponent? As a team, we will use the remaining hours and days to work on our strategy. With there being no midweek game, both teams have no excuses, and we therefore have plenty of time to prepare. The two teams are in good form and have already scored many goals - from a neutral's perspective, that is what we want to see. Of course, I would be down for us finding the back of the net more often!"

Watch: Quiz Time for Müller & Hrádecký

bundesliga.com: To what extent is the fact that Leverkusen became champions last season an additional motivation?
Müller: "Yes, we are more motivated this year. The last years, when it wasn’t working, we were not bothered. You can interpret that as there being less motivation, but we always has enough. Honestly, there has never been a season in recent years – other than the sextuple campaign under Hansi Flick – where we were really satisfied with our overall performance. Still, the motivation, were always there, just on a different level."

bundesliga.com: You have personally burst out of the blocks this term, scoring five goals in only around 250 minutes of action. How would you rate your individual performances across these opening weeks?
Müller: "Fundamentally good. Personally, I'm in a good mood and, although I haven't picked up too many minutes so far, I've still been involved in every game. I have tried to use the time I get as well as possible, both for my team and for me. As an attacking player, you want that feeling of scoring or assisting a goal and just making the most of every second. But if I'm being honest, we have many great individual players up front. For those four attacking positions we have eight, nine, even ten candidates who each have different qualities and can contribute. The competition never sleeps. Nevertheless, I am still in a good mood and we have a lot of important weeks up ahead. It is just really fun right now."

About the players

25

Thomas

Müller

FC Bayern München

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bundesliga.com: As one of the team's veterans, you have a special status in the squad as an example for the young players. How do you fulfil this role?
Müller: "I have this status not because I was given it, but because I fulfil every role, no matter what it is, with passion. I want to influence my teammates naturally, and as positively as I can because that is the best for both me and the team. When you approach a younger player, it's clear that you want to help them perform better so they can realize their potential and contribute to the overall success. It is therefore obvious for me to do that, but I also know that not everyone has the capacity to take care of others while also focusing on their own game. Also, perhaps some others are not confident enough to share information with others. That's why I try to remove everyone's reservations a bit."

bundesliga: You have broken many records in the Bundesliga and have now played more games for Bayern than anyone else in history. How does it feel to have reach these milestones?
Müller: "It is nice, and it is the reward for the hard work you have put in. I didn't expect it - when you start out, you don't expect to have a 15-year career at the absolute highest level, and you can’t plan each step along the way. In hindsight, I am glad that I managed to stay at this level for so long, because I know how much work is behind it. However, while I could easily sit and reflect on it, that doesn’t help me tomorrow or in the next training session. You are always looking for the next adrenaline kick, which you can usually find at a full Allianz Arena in a game that gets feisty. That’s what you really work for. What you have achieved is nice, but what is coming is more interesting."

Watch: All 150 of Thomas Müller's Bundesliga goals

bundesliga: Is there a particular record in your career that you still want to achieve?

Müller: "No, there is no record that I am aiming for. For me, it is not about records, but about us playing well. Right now, I have a contract until the end of next season, so I will try to squeeze everything out of me until then. After that, I don’t yet know what I want or what the club wants. I don’t even want it to enter my focus at the moment. Normally, we as humans thinking about what is next. It is, however, a different situation when you are at the tail end of your career, plus I have a strong connection with this place. Säbener Street is my living room. I have been coming here almost every day since 2000. That is why it probably looks like I am enjoying it but I am not taking it easy. I don’t really know what the future holds but that doesn’t interest me at all right now. I am just trying to enjoy the moment and to do my part."

bundesliga.com: Harry Kane has been in stunning form and is sure to play an important role against Leverkusen. How would you rate his performance in recent weeks?
Müller: "On the one hand, it is extraordinary, and yet somehow it isn't. He is a goalscorer, and there are not many who can match his numbers. It is not a coincidence, rather it is because he has the ability to put himself in the right positions and find the back of the net. Harry is a brutal finisher. He is two-footed, and his finishes are just so powerful. His attempts are good from a technique point of view, but also from a tactical one – he knows where to place them and which type of shot to fire off. He doesn’t just smash it, but instead places the ball with a precision and speed into the corners that goalkeepers just can't save. He obviously knows how to get goals, so it doesn't seem unbelievable to me but, at the same time, it is great to see how regularly he can call upon his finishing qualities."

Thomas Müller (l.) and Harry Kane (r.) will be eager to win silverware together this season. - IMAGO

bundesliga.com: Is he the best striker you've played with?
Müller: "It is not about being the best. I was asked many times in my career about my favourite pizza or my favourite food - it is all nonsense. You can ask which striker fits with the teammates? What's the best fit for this particulary opponent? But the best overall? It doesn't work like that. When you compare top strikers, everybody is a little different. One may be a better dribbler, another may have more pace. There are surely players who are better in those aspects than Harry, but in terms of finishing - with both feet and his head - there is no-one better. He is at the very top. Otherwise, though, there are a lot of brilliant strikers who bring other qualities. That is just how it is."

About the clubs

FC Bayern München

Allianz Arena