Muller: Nothing compares to Bayern
The unique nature of Bayern Munich, its fans and the city played key roles in Thomas Muller's decision to sign a new contract.
Thomas Muller has never been tempted to move away from Bayern Munich because the club fulfils all his needs and has no comparison.
The 26-year-old has spent his entire senior career at Bayern, making over 200 appearances for the German champions.
Having signed a new contract which runs until 2021 in December, Germany forward Muller warded off reported interest from the Premier League.
The World Cup-winner confessed he did not feel any other club could match the satisfaction he gets from being part of the Bayern set-up.
"Well, in football - as in normal working life - you can say: 'I am going to go to another country to see what I can get'," Muller told Spox.
"But if I say that I am going to another country then it would be a long story - or at least it would be planned as one.
"You have to check what the situation is and what your feeling is. Which offer do you have here and which offer do you have there - not only regarding the terms of the contract - and in my situation it was always the case that Bayern was the top one for me, in every aspect.
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"We are footballers and football is about romance for the fans of course, but, for a player, it is mostly about what is happening with the ball.
"I grew up in Bavaria close to Munich, have all my friends here and can do everything I could also do if I didn't have a job that was as time-consuming.
"We are football players but this is only our job. I have to check whether I feel good on the pitch, with my team-mates, with the club, what goals I have, what is important to me.
"I personally feel that at Bayern the sporting aspect, the feeling with the fans in Munich and the appreciation from the fans, is unique here. Those are the most important aspects for me."
Despite being an instinctive player, Muller believes outgoing coach Pep Guardiola's analytical approach has helped inspire Bayern to new heights.
He added: "I have a feeling that it [Guardiola's style] gives us a lot of advantages compared to other teams. There are other teams which have great coaches who make good plans, and this does not mean that the plans always work out, because a game has a lot of phases.
"The most important thing in Guardiola's theory is to play football and this always stays the same. The basic idea is always the same, but different opponents offer different space which you can use to play in. This is why we have to react to that."