Joshua Kimmich: footballing icon set to lead Germany and Bayern Munich into future
Joshua Kimmich is set to enter Bayern Munich folklore by committing his future to the club he made his Bundesliga debut for back in 2015.
By agreeing terms on a new four-year deal with the Bavarian giants, the 30-year-old now looks certain to end his playing days with Bayern. What’s more, Germany’s recently appointed captain may don the skipper’s armband with his club with greater frequency from the 2025/26 season.
It would be no more than the former VfB Stuttgart youth deserves, having won an incredible eight Bundesliga titles with the European footballing institution that is Bayern. His maiden German top-flight appearance against Augsburg with Pep Guardiola at the FCB helm may seem many moons ago, but the consistency of high-class performances the versatile midfielder has put in for his club since then are a tribute to his longevity, focus and unquestionable commitment.
Along with his haul of Bundesliga crowns, Kimmich memorably lifted the UEFA Champions League with Bayern back in 2020, when the six-time European champions defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the Lisbon showpiece. Kimmich can also boast of three DFB Cup triumphs and a winners’ medal at the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup. Having enjoyed FIFA Confederations Cup and youth tournament honours with Germany, Kimmich is one of the most decorated players in the game today.
With Germany legends such as İlkay Gündoğan, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller hanging up their boots on the international scene in the recent past, Kimmich was given the honour of skippering his nation in September 2024. "When I consider where I come from and how as a small child I dreamed of being an international ... it's something very, very special," Bayern’s No. 6 explained of his new leadership role with Germany. "I'm lucky I've played with experienced world-class players who showed me how to do such things," he added.
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Given the captaincy by current Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, it was the same tactician who - when previously in charge at Bayern - once said of Kimmich: "The great thing is he's world class at right-back and in midfield." It was this versatility that aided the player’s coaches immensely down through the years.
It allowed Guardiola to remodel his in-game tactics, Carlo Ancelotti to triumph in his famous 4-3-3 style and Jupp Heynckes to tie his formations together. Under Hansi Flick, Kimmich even celebrated that famous treble of Bundesliga, European Cup and DFB Cup in 2019/20.
Watch: All of Kimmich's Bundesliga goals
The Baden-Württemberg star has been a monster in Bayern's engine room and immense at right-back across his 429 games in all competitions for the record champions. Yet he has also chipped in at centre-back and on the right side of midfield and appears ready to step into whatever role is required of him.
Doing whatever it takes for the cause might even best sum up what Kimmich is all about: a player who gives 100 percent and leaves every ounce of sweat out on the field in each and every game. It’s little wonder Bayern were keen to tie down their iconic star, who will now shine brightly for the rest if his playing days wearing the club’s famous red shirt.
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