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Gerhard 'Gerd' Müller (born November 3, 1945 in Nördlingen) is a former German football player.
With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances and 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games he was one of the most successful strikers of all time. His nicknames are "Bomber der Nation" (Bomber of the nation) and "kleines dickes Müller" (short fat Müller).
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Bayern Munich
Born in Nördlingen, Germany, he began his football career at the TSV 1861 Nördlingen. Müller joined the FC Bayern München in 1964 where he teamed up with future stars as Franz Beckenbauer and Sepp Maier. The club, which would go on to become the most successful German club in history was then still in the Regionalliga Süd (Regional League South), which was one level below the Bundesliga at the time. After one season, Bayern Munich advanced to the Bundesliga and started a long string of successes. With his club, Müller amassed titles during the 60s and 70s: He won the German Championship four times, the German Cup four times, the European Champions' Cup three times, the Intercontinental Cup once, and the European Cup Winners' Cup once. A supremely opportunistic goal-scorer, he also became German top scorer seven times and European top scorer twice. No player scored more goals in European cup games than Müller: 66 goals in 74 games.
The national team
His career in the national team started in 1966 and ended on July 7, 1974 with the win of the World Cup at his home stadium in Munich. He scored the winning goal for the 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in the final. His 4 goals in that tournament and his 10 goals at the Template:Wc combined make him the most successful World Cup striker to date.
Müller also participated in the 1972 European Championship, becoming top scorer with 4 goals and winning the Championship with the German team.
Fort Lauderdale Strikers
After his career in the Bundesliga he went to the USA, where he joined the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League in 1979. He played three seasons with this team, scoring 38 goals, and once reaching, but losing, the league final.
Life after football
After Müller ended his career in 1982, he fell into a slump and acquired an alcohol addiction. But his former companions at Bayern Munich convinced him to go through alcohol rehabilitation. When he emerged, they gave him a job as an amateur coach at Bayern Munich, where he still works as of 2005.
Honors
Titles with Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974
- German Cup: 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971
- European Champions' Cup: 1974, 1975, 1976
- Intercontinental Cup: 1976
- Cup Winners' Cup: 1967
Titles with the national team
Personal honors
- German top scorer: 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978
- European top scorer: 1970, 1972
- World Cup top scorer (Golden Boot): 1970
- European Championship top scorer: 1972
- German footballer of the year: 1967, 1969
- European Footballer of the Year: 1970