Gerd Muller was ‘Muhammad Ali of the penalty box’

But office hours were not required for Gerd Muller, who has died at the age of 75 after a near six-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Instead, he made a mockery of his early critics and amassed a goalscoring record which ensured he will go down in history as one of football’s finest strikers.

“Without his goals, FC Bayern and German football would not be what they are today,” said another of the club’s greats, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, in 2015. “He was still remains the best of all time, the Muhammad Ali of the penalty box.”

Muller scored 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games for Bayern Munich, playing an integral role in their rise from the German regional leagues to three consecutive European Cup triumphs from 1974.

He scored 68 goals in 62 games for West Germany, a record which would stand for 40 years until it was finally surpassed by Miroslav Klose.

And he saved arguably the most important of his then-record 14 World Cup final goals for last, netting the winner as West Germany secured the 1974 title with a 2-1 victory over Holland on home soil.

Not bad for a player whose stocky and powerful appearance led to him being nicknamed “short, fat Muller” by his first coach at Bayern Munich, Zlatko Cajkovski.

Muller was born on November 3, 1945 in Nordlingen, Germany, a town notable for its craftsmen and, in particular, weaving, in which he served a junior apprenticeship.

At the same time, Muller was developing a powerful physique which belied his initial appearance and saw him carve a reputation as a goalscorer of considerable repute with his hometown club.

After scoring over 50 goals in 1964, Muller was brought into a rising Bayern squad already underpinned by fellow future superstars Franz Beckenbauer and Sepp Maier.

Together, they would elevate the club to unimaginable heights, with Muller’s goals integral to the club’s four Bundesliga triumphs between 1969 and 1974.

As Bayern rose to the status of European superpower on the back of his clinical penalty box strikes, Muller shed his first derogatory nickname and developed a new one: Der Bomber.

Muller replicated his goalscoring exploits on the international stage, where his made his debut for West Germany in 1966.

In 1972, two years after being crowned European footballer of the year, pipping Bobby Moore to the Ballon d’Or, Muller dominated the European Championship in Belgium, scoring twice in his country’s 3-0 final victory over the Soviet Union.

Two years later, after claiming the World Cup for Germany on home soil, he abruptly announced his retirement from international football at the age of just 28.

Although Muller continued to succeed with Bayern, he became increasingly unsettled, and in 1979 opted to follow Beckenbauer to the United States, where he signed for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

He played three seasons in the US and opened a restaurant, before announcing his retirement in 1982.

Muller struggled in his post-football career, and entered a clinic for alcohol dependency after the intervention of one of his World Cup-winning team-mates, Uli Hoeness.

Hoeness subsequently became the general manager at Bayern and brought Muller back to the club as coach of the Bayern Munich II team.

Shortly before his 70th birthday in 2015, Bayern announced that Muller had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by wife Uschi and daughter Nicole.

Bayern president Herbert Hainer told the club website: “Today is a sad, black day for FC Bayern and all of its fans.

“Gerd Muller was the greatest striker there has ever been – and a fine person, a personality in world football. We are united in deep sorrow with his wife Uschi and his family.

“Without Gerd Muller, FC Bayern would not be the club we all love today. His name and the memory of him will live on forever.”

Former Bayern and Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, now the club’s chief executive, described Muller as “one of the greatest legends in the history of FC Bayern”.

He added: “His achievements are unrivalled to this day and will forever be a part of the great history of FC Bayern and all of German football.

“As a player and a person, Gerd Muller stands for FC Bayern and its development into one of the biggest clubs in the world like no other. Gerd will forever be in our hearts.”

Another former Bayern and Germany star, Bastian Schweinsteiger, hailed the role Muller played in his own development.

He said on Twitter: “Thank you, Gerd! Without this man, @FCBayern would not be like it is today and most of our careers would probably not have been possible. My thoughts are with his family, I am grateful to call him one of my coaches.”

Former England striker Gary Lineker tweeted: “Very sorry to hear that Gerd Müller has passed away. Loved watching him as a child and learnt so much from doing so. The greatest penalty box goal scorer I’ve ever seen.”

Brazil great Pele hailed Muller as one of the best strikers he had seen play.

He wrote on Instagram: “Today is a sad day for those who love the sport. When a star as bright as Gerd leaves you, it’s impossible not to feel your heart sink. He is an unquestionable idol for anyone who loves football.

“Muller was the leader who took German football to the next level. He was one of the best strikers I’ve ever seen play and a great human being.

“His name will be remembered forever. I transmit all my affection here and I hope that God will comfort the hearts of your family and friends.”

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