Thomas Müller has refused to rule out a return to Bayern Munich but the veteran has made it abundantly clear he won’t be pulling on a Germany shirt ever again.
The 36 year old is currently plying his trade with the Vancouver Whitecaps, enjoying a much more prominent role on the pitch than he did during his final months at the Allianz Arena. After years of being used sparingly as a substitute for the record champions, Müller is once again a key man in Canada.
But could a return to Bavaria be on the cards? In a different capacity, perhaps.
Speaking on the talk show Bestbesetzung for MagentaSport, the 2014 World Cup winner was typically candid about his future plans and left the door firmly ajar for a comeback in a non playing role.
“I’m not one to rule anything out. I generally just let things come my way,” Müller said.
“If a door was just ajar and I wanted to go through it, I’ve managed to do that time and again in the past.”
It’s the kind of cryptic answer that will get Bayern fans talking. Müller, after all, is about as synonymous with the club as the red shirts themselves. Having come through the academy and spent the bulk of his career at the Allianz, his identification with Bayern runs deeper than most.
Internally, he’s already viewed as a potential candidate for a future role, sporting director or something similar should he decide to hang up his boots and move into the boardroom. Whether he feels the timing is right and possesses the necessary skills for such a job remains to be seen.
But if there’s one thing Müller’s got in spades, it’s the ability to read a situation.
The same can’t be said for anyone hoping for a national team comeback.
Asked whether a return to the Germany setup was on the cards, Müller didn’t even pause for thought.
“Yes, zero,” he said flatly.
And when the subject of a phone call from national team boss Julian Nagelsmann came up, Müller delivered the kind of one liner that’s made him a fan favourite for years.
“Well, if he calls me, he’s got a screw loose.”
So there you have it. A Bayern return one day? Possibly. A Germany comeback? Absolutely not.
For now, Müller will continue his adventure in Vancouver, where he’s rediscovered the joy of playing week in, week out. But the sense that his story at Bayern isn’t quite finished lingers and Müller himself seems in no hurry to shut that particular door.
