World Cup golden boot winner was the 15th best player of the 2009-10 season, according to a panel of Goal.com experts...
By Peter Staunton
30 Jul 2010 13:40:00
Welcome to the Goal.com 50! In this special series, Goal.com editors worldwide vote for the top 50 players of 2009-10. We count down to the announcement of the winner on August 10th with profiles of each and every player who made it into the top 50...
From the Bayern Munich reserves to a league and cup double, a Champions League final and the World Cup Golden Boot in the space of a year; that is the remarkable progress made by Thomas Mueller during the 2009-10 season.
What began as a potential season of further development in the long process of becoming a rounded player ended with Mueller being one of the most coveted commodoties in the European game after 52 games and 19 goals in all competitions.
Although the 20-year-old had been part of the first-team picture at Bayern during 2008-09, making four Bundesliga appearances and scoring once in the Champions League, he had to wait for Louis van Gaal to appear for his time to truly come. And he seized his chance with aplomb during a dominant season for FC Hollywood.
The Dutch coach has been renowned for his faith in youth and wasted no time in promoting Holger Badstuber and Mueller to full-time first team duties last summer. Such was the startling ability shown by the pair, new signings like Edson Braafheid, Danijel Pranjic and Alexander Baumjohann were quickly deemed surplus to requirements.
The Bavaria native proved himself to be a versatile player throughout his 'breakout' season, featuring in all Bundesliga matches across a number of positions as well as ending up as top scorer in the DFB Pokal.
Initially a substitute, Mueller powered his way to a brace against Borussia Dortmund in a September hammering and was quickly promoted to starting duties, earning a Bundesliga Player of the Month award in the process. As Bayern's season gathered momentum he became undroppable and fulfilled a key function in the line-up. Indeed, the only match he missed all season long was against Bordeaux in the Champions League as he was serving a suspension.
At times, in truth, the youngster foundered in continental competition and scored only twice in his 12 matches; that double came in the routine dismissal of Maccabi Haifa. Nonetheless the experience he accrued against some of the world's best teams will only serve to enhance his progress. He will however, mull over the chance he missed in the final against Inter that could have put FCB back on terms.
On home soil though, Mueller, and Bayern, were untouchable as they romped towards a record 22nd German title. Mueller netted vital goals against Werder Bremen and Schalke to help steer Die Roten to the top of the table. He was rewarded for his effervescence and maturity with a call-up to the national team, first in November, and then in March for the friendly against Argentina. That game served little notice of what was to come in the national colours on a poor night for the Nationalmannschaft.
Once club duties were wrapped up though, and a place on the BuLi team of the season assured, Mueller did enough to merit inclusion in Joachim Loew's World Cup panel, in which he filled the lauded No.13 jersey once worn by his namesake, Gerd, and Michael Ballack. After falling off his bicycle early in the pre-World Cup training camp, Mueller dusted himself off to become a starter for the tournament proper.
An outstanding display against Australia yielded a goal and a highly effective outing against England, in perhaps the team display of the tournament, brought two more. The quarter-final against Argentina saw him net again but a booking during the 4-0 win meant that he was ruled out of the semi-final against Spain. Had he been available, then the Germans may have come closer to the eventual winners.
The third-place play-off saw Mueller use his anticipation and composure to clean up Bastian Schweinsteiger's drive and put Die Elf in the ascendancy. His fifth goal of the tournament put him level on strikes with Wesley Sneijder and David Villa, but his three assists earned him the prize of Golden Boot winner. Mueller also saw off Andre Ayew and Giovani Dos Santos for the Best Young Player award.
Physically, Mueller still has a way to go to reach his peak; at times he can seem rangy and ungainly but there is no doubting the maturity and diligence of this outstanding prospect. Mature for his age, he married his childhood sweetheart, Lisa, in December but perhaps his response to being asked whether he proposed on bended knee will tell you all you need to know about the voracious learner and serial winner. "You only go on your knees when you celebrate a goal." There'll be more of that next season.
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