Gerd Müller did not dribble much and did not create much. He scored. Der Bomber was the most lethal goalscorer German football has produced, and some of his numbers still look like misprints.
More goals than games
- 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga matches
- 68 goals in 62 matches for West Germany, an almost impossible ratio
- The winning goal in the 1974 World Cup Final against the Netherlands
- Three European Cups in a row with Bayern Munich, in 1974, 1975 and 1976
His Bundesliga scoring set a standard that lasted for about half a century, and it took Robert Lewandowski to finally get past one of his marks. He also won the Ballon d'Or in 1970, recognised as the best player in Europe at his peak.
Scoring more international goals than he played games is a record that defies logic. There was nothing decorative about how he did it. He found half a yard in the box, and the ball went in.
Inside the penalty area he was the purest predator the game has seen, and his records stood for generations.
Tomorrow: number 17.
