By Oliver Trust

BERLIN, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- When discussing phenomena in German football, the conversation inevitably ends up at Thomas Mueller.

In March 2019, the 2014 world champion seemed to have reached his all-time low after Joachim Loew threw the 100-time capped player out of the German team.

Slightly over a year later, the Bavarian-born idol has become irreplaceable for his club and is (again) one of the dominant figures in the country's football.

Now it seems like an unforgivable waste to leave out the unconventional striker. Mueller is Bayern's spiritual source, covering unknown spaces on the pitch, connecting both flanks and spearheading Robert Lewandowski.

Several comments talk about the increasing pressure on the German coach to make up for his assumedly wrong decision. Loew had announced his desire to rejuvenate the squad.

But can the German coach stick to his move? And, can Mueller possibly benefit as the 2020 Euro has been shifted to 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak?

After a stunning national league season, Mueller delivered a breath-taking performance with two goals against the Spaniards. He did his 113 Champions League game, which makes him the German record holder ahead of Philipp Lahm (112).

Only Cristiano Ronaldo (67) and Lionel Messi (47) have scored more goals than the German (23) in the knock-out stage. No other performer scored as many goals as Mueller (6) against Barcelona.

In Munich, he is the driving force of the newly shaped team of coach Hansi Flick.

The 55-year-old is praising Mueller as one of the team's leaders.

"He is the signal giver for our pressing," Flick said after the historic victory.

Before, Flick had called his forward unique.

The Bayern attacker is keeping his feet still, at least as concerns the national team. He seems aware that to make a claim won't help his case.

Despite his excellent shape, Bayern's booster has to wait for Loew to rethink his ruling.

The Bavarian didn't feel like talking about a possible return.

The striker even refused to speak about his records. "It makes my heart beat faster to see our great team spirit. I see substitutes coming in from the bench acting with the same passion as the starting eleven did," he said.

Being the first footballer to score six goals in five games against Barcelona doesn't mean anything to him, he insisted.

"What makes me happy is to see: The old ones want to prove their class still, and the younger ones are hungry for success," Mueller commented.

He called Bayern march into the semifinal, but said this was no reason to celebrate. "The job isn't done. Statistics might be something you look at after your career, but we are in the middle of a thrilling journey," the Munich striker emphasized.

The national team is currently not in his mind, Mueller insisted. "It might surprise you, but I am not thinking about the Euro, I am thinking about Bayern. We want to do the final steps now," he said.

Nevertheless, Mueller might want to keep his phone charged after the 2019/2020 Champions League campaign in case an unexpected call is coming in.

To appoint Muller could pay off for Loew for various reasons.

He delivers world-class football, and the Germans face the Spanish national team on September 3 in the Nations League. Enditem

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