Berlin (AFP) – World Cup winner Thomas Mueller has said he has no intention of hanging up his boots for Germany and is eager to play on under new national head coach Hansi Flick.
The Bayern Munich star, who turns 32 next month, was recalled for the Euro 2020 finals, along with Mats Hummels, after the pair spent two years in international exile under ex-Germany coach Joachim Loew.
Mueller squandered a late chance when Germany exited the finals in a 2-0 defeat to England in the last 16, Loew’s final game in charge.
Mueller says he would relish working under Flick, his former head coach at Bayern, and is eager to add to his 106 appearances for Germany since his 2010 debut.
Flick’s first Germany games in charge will be three 2022 World Cup qualifiers in early September and Mueller wants to be involved.
“I have signalled my willingness to continue playing,” Mueller told German magazine Der Spiegel.
It was Flick who restored Mueller to Bayern’s starting line-up in November 2019 as the Bavarian giants went on to win a treble of titles that season.
Mueller has not looked back since, scoring 11 goals and setting up 21 more in the Bundesliga.
“Hansi Flick is the coach who promoted me at FC Bayern. He has taken me to an even higher level,” Mueller said before Friday’s opening game of the new season at Moenchengladbach.
Flick was assistant coach to Loew when Germany won the 2014 World Cup with Mueller as a key part of the team.
The attacking midfielder admired Flick’s playing philosophy at Bayern, which involved “taking opponents by surprise like a herd of bulls or coming back after falling behind”.
Flick gave his first press conference as Germany head coach on Tuesday and confirmed he continues to plan with Mueller and Hummels.
