Gerhard Müller · Germany
Photo : Public domain — unknown author (Wikimedia Commons)
Müller scored 398 goals for Bayern Munich and 68 in 62 games for West Germany, and his Bundesliga scoring record stood for half a century. He was short, thick-legged and unathletic by the standards applied to forwards, and he scored more than anyone because he was quicker over two yards than anyone was over ten.
Almost all of it happened inside the six-yard box, off either foot, frequently with his back to goal and a defender attached to him. He won the European Cup three years running with Bayern Munich between 1974 and 1976, the 1972 European Championship, and scored the winner in the 1974 World Cup final against the Netherlands.
His single-season record of 40 Bundesliga goals lasted until Robert Lewandowski matched it in 2021. Müller had dementia in his later years and died in 2021, aged seventy-five.
Club career
| Years | Club | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963–1964 | 1861 Nördlingen | 31 | 51 |
| 1964–1979 | Bayern Munich | 453 | 398 |
| 1979–1981 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 71 | 38 |
| Total | 555 | 487 |
International career
| Years | Team | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966–1974 | West Germany | 62 | 68 |
Honours
Dashed = runner-up.
Related legends
Career figures compiled from public records. Competitive senior appearances only.