Equipped with the pace of a winger and the stamina and precision of a midfielder, Philipp Lahm has been the cornerstone of Bayern Munich for the last 17 years, his talents earning him the nickname “Magic Dwarf”. And now, the iconic German is set to retire after nearly two decades in the sport, with his club honouring the Munich native a fitting farewell in their final match of the season.
A ceremony celebrating his career at the club was conducted after Bayern’s final league fixture against Freiburg on Saturday, hailing Lahm’s progression “from a child of our own to a legend of our club”.
Early Years
The 33-year-old Philipp Lahm was born on 11 November 1983 in Gern, a small neighborhood in Munich, Germany. During that time, many had not known the astronomical heights the young lad had reached today.
Lahm started his career football career with none other than Bayern Munich, as he is a big fan of the club since his childhood days. Starting from the club’s academy, many of the club’s coaches had noticed Lahm’s talent on the pitch. Then amateur coach Hermann Gerland has stated Lahm “has a perfect sense for detecting danger on the pitch. [You can] trust Philipp with any task, everything, really.”
Lahm won the Bundesliga youth title twice during his young career with the club’s academy before moving on to Bayern’s B team, who then played in the Regionalliga, Germany’s fourth tier competition. During his stint with the side, Lahm made 63 appearances, and in 2002, made his first-team debut as a substitute in the club’s Champions League group stage fixture against RC Lens.
While it would take another two years for Lahm to make his first start for Bayern due to a two-year loan spell at Stuttgart, he did impress during his time on loan – although he suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his second season with the Swabians.
Injury setbacks
Despite his injury, Lahm went back an improved player. After his rehabilitation from injury, Lahm went on to establish himself as a first-team player for the Bavarian giants, notching 27 appearances during the 2005-06 season, where he first tasted gold – winning the Bundesliga and the German Cup.
Three seasons later, Lahm would increase his appearances tally to 155, cementing his place as a key figure in Bayern’s first-team. He went on to be a sturdy, reliable point-man in the defensive flanks, naturally catching the attention of other big clubs elsewhere, including Manchester United and Barcelona. A loyal player, Lahm would turn down those offers and stay with his boyhood club.
From there, the Lahm would go on to win eight Bundesliga titles, six German Cups, three German Super Cups, a Champions League medal, a UEFA Super Cup, and a FIFA Club World Cup, including a historic treble under Jupp Heynckes.
On the international stage, Lahm would also play a pivotal role with German’s national team, including Die Mannschaft’s 2014 World Cup win.