BERLIN: Thomas Müller is still hungry for titles as he starts"an adventure" with new club Vancouver Whitecaps after 25 years at Bayern Munich, the only team he has ever played professional football until now.
"Anyone who knows me knows that I'm keen on winning titles. Sport is still the most important thing for me even if I consciously took a step out of Europe," he said in an interview with news portal One Soccer.
"It's important to me that when I play it's about sporting success,that's what I've always strived for."
After months of speculation, Müller announced the transfer to the MLS side on Wednesday.
The 2014 World Cup winner was not given a contract extension at Bayern this summer and left the club for which he won countless titles, including trebles in 2013 and 2020.
Müller said in an interview with his new club that he talked to former Bayern team-mate and Canada international Alphonso Davies about the transfer.
"I talked to Alphonso, he told me a lot of good things about the city and about the Whitecaps, so I was a little bit pumped," Müller said."The decision was made before or in between, so I didn't need Alphonso's opinion but it was important for me just to double check."
Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster said that their strategy to sign the player was "convincing him about our sporting project, where we are with the team, what kind of team we are, having a long conversation with Jesper Sørensen, head coach about how he would fit into this team, how we would use him, where he could help."
Müller is to make his debut on August 17 in the home game against Houston Dynamo FC.
"The colors of the jersey are of course completely different from what I was used to at Bayern. I still get on very well with it, of course, because the Bavarian flag also includes white and blue," he said.
The Whitecaps revealed that Müller will be available for the club upon the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate, visa and work permit. He is scheduled to arrive in Vancouver next Wednesday.
To complete the signing, they acquired Müller's MLS Discovery Priority from FC Cincinnati in exchange for a total of $300,000.
The MLS is heading towards the end of its regular season, which will have its final match-day on October 18.
The Whitecaps are currently second in the Western Conference, which would grant them a spot in the play-offs.
"If you look at where the Whitecaps are currently in the table and how the development of the last few years have gone you have to be honest," Müller said.
"The management of the Whitecaps and the coach have shown me where it is to go in the next one or two years. It cleary goes in the direction of titles." — dpa
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