Having finally settled into life in Western Sydney, Nicolai Müller has his sights set on making an impact at the Red & Black.
Having finally settled into life in Western Sydney, Nicolai Müller has his sights set on making an impact at the Red & Black.
By his own admission, Nicolai Müller discovered moving his family to a new country and adapting to a different style of football a little more difficult than he had first imagined.
A 13-season veteran of German football, the attacker decided the time was right to take up a new challenge. Uprooting his family to head to far away Australia to continue his career at the Wanderers.
And, it’s a decision he hasn’t regretted, even if the few months proved to be an eye-opener as he worked hard to get to peak fitness and fit in with the style of the team.
“My friends and former teammates were surprised. ‘Why are you going so far away from Germany?’ they asked me,” said Müller.
“The coach (Markus Babbel) rang me (about joining the Wanderers). I said this is a good idea, I can do this, I want to do this.
“Then there was a small break, and he called again, and asked again. I talked to my wife and said ‘why not’.
“I am happy I did it. I love it here to play, to train and everything is perfect.”
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The 32-year-old, who is now sporting a brand-new platinum blonde hairstyle, said the conditions in Australia were hard for him to content with initially.
Muller had not played for some time and his fitness needed work. The heat and the hard surfaces were hard for him to content with initially.
“I think before the first three or four games, I needed a bit of time to get used to everything,” said Müller.
“The competition, the conditions, it is definitely different to Germany.
“It is a strong league and you need to fight in every game. Nearly every game is 50-50 and you need to have all the little details right.
“The weather, the heat – it is very hot – the air, the hard grounds … they all make a difference.”
After a slow start, the two-time Germany capped Müller, who had stints in the Bundesliga with Mainz 05, Hamburger SV, Eintracht Frankfurt and Hannover 96, has really hit his straps, impressing with his qualities as a leader and an attacker.
Müller scored his first goal for the club against Wellington in Round 9 and followed up with a double against Adelaide United in Round 12 game on Boxing Day.
As well, the German provided an assist for Mitchell Duke to score against Brisbane Roar on New Year’s Day.
“I feel now that I am much stronger and I have my confidence,” said Müller. “Everything is perfect now.
“I want to play football, I love football. I am happy and I love the life here. My kids love it and my wife. The city is amazing, it is beautiful.”
Müller is confident that the Wanderers can start to make a run for the Finals and he is determined to play a huge part in that.
“We just need to fix the small details. We need to start to make a run, to win games and to get points,” explained Muller.
“I feel like I can contribute in that.
“I need to help and I want to help by scoring more goals and having more assists. But we need all the team to work hard together.”
