(Football news) Philipp Lahm turns 38 years old today. The former Bayern Munich captain is one of the best players of all time. Lahm's illustrious career spanned over 15 years in which won a total of 22 trophies with club and country. He is famous for having never received a red card in his career despite being a defender.
Lahm started his professional career at his boyhood club Bayern Munich in 2002. After a 2 year loan spell at VfB Stuttgart, Lahm returned to Munich and became a club legend, he went on to play 332 matches in all competitions and won 8 Bundesliga titles, 6 DFB Pokal cups, 1 UCL, 1 UEFA Super cup and 1 Fifa Club World Cup. Lahm captained Bayern Munich from 2011 until his retirement in 2017 and was the captain when the Bavarian club won the treble under Jupp Heynckes in 2013. He hung up his boots in 2017 as one of the most prolific defenders in the history of football.
Lahm made his senior international debut for Germany in 2004. He went on to make 113 international appearances and played 3 World Cups. He scored the first goal in the opening game of the 2006 World Cup in Germany against Costa Rica. He was named in the World Cup team of the tournament in all the 3 World Cups he played in and captained the German team for 4 years. He was the skipper when Germany lifted the World Cup trophy in 2014 by beating Argentina in the final which was Lahm's last game for his country.
Also read: Newcastle United to rope in Liverpool's sporting director in 2022
Lahm was a very versatile player throughout his playing career. Naturally a right back, Lahm was also utilised as a left back on various big occasions. He was also turned into a defensive midfielder by Pep Guardiola. Lahm's equally capable of cutting inside and overlapping which made him a great asset in attack. Lahm and Dani Alves are often considered two of the best right backs in the game even though the German was equally capable on the left. He was a part of the FIFA FifPro World XI in 2013 and 2014.
Although he is a Bayern Munich legend there were times when his relationship was strained with the club and his fans. He came close to joining Barcelona and Manchester United on multiple occasions. He was infamously handed what is to date the highest fine in the history of Bayern Munich for criticising the club for their transfer policy, strategic planning and game philosophy. His on field heroics more than made up for that as he is still adored by Bayern Munich fans.
