Former Bayern Munich and West Germany striker Gerd Müller dies aged 75

Gerd Müller, the quintessential fox-in-the-box striker, died on Sunday at the age of 75.

Gerd Müller, who died on Sunday, scored 68 times in 62 appearances for West Germany. He won 13 trophies during his 15 years with Bayern Munich. ASSOCIATED PRESS

Müller, who was nicknamed Der Bomber, played for Bayern Munich for 15 years and scored a record 365 goals in 427 matches for the Bavarian giants.

He netted 68 times for West German in 62 appearances, including the winning goal in the 1974 World Cup final against the Netherlands.

He also scored twice for his country in the 3-0 victory over the Soviet Union to hoist the 1972 European Championships.

Brilliance

Herbert Hainer, the Bayern Munich president, said: "Gerd Müller was the greatest striker there has ever been, and a fine person and character of world football.

"We’re all united in deep mourning with his wife Uschi as well as his family.

"FC Bayern wouldn’t be the club we all love today without Gerd Müller. His name and memory will live on forever.”

'I don't rate the short, fat bloke'

Müller joined Bayern Munich when they played in the second division. The coach, Zlatko Cajkovski, was sceptical about Müller's potential describing him as short and fat.

But Cajkovski, under pressure from the Bayern president Wilhelm Neudecker to play Müller, sent him out 10 games into the season for the fixture against Freiburg. A brace followed and by the end of the campaign, Bayern had won promotion to the Bundesliga.

That first season among the elite finished with a German Cup crown and third place. Bayern retained the cup in 1967 and won it again in 1969 along with their first Bundesliga title.

Müller lifted 13 trophies during his time at Bayern including a hat trick of European Cups between 1974 and 1976. There were a total of our Bundesliga titles.

Former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who is now the club's chief executive, added: "He’s one of the greatest legends in the history of FC Bayern.

"His achievements are unrivalled to this day and will forever be a part of the great history of FC Bayern and all of German football. Gerd will forever be in our hearts.”

The German FA also paid tribute to Müller saluting him as one of the greatest German footballers.

The DFB is mourning the passing of one of the greatest German footballers of all time. Rest in peace, Gerd Müller.

Our thoughts are with his wife and family at this time. pic.twitter.com/2kkIgiYtcO

— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) August 15, 2021

Franz Beckenbauer, considered one of the game's best defenders, featured with Müller for Bayern and West Germany.

Recalling their days together, he said: "In training if he was put on the other side he'd sometimes make us look like idiots.

"Using his pace he would feint and we would of course fall for it and would be left lying on the ground as he waltzed through to score.

"I'd say to a teammate: 'I'm not laughing .. if he tries that again, I'll kick him and I don't care if he doesn't play on Saturday.' So what happens?

"He did the same thing again and we ended up on the floor again.

"That was Gerd Müller. He was fabulous."