It is very hard to compare players of different generations, almost impossible. Tactics, equipment, rules – so many things have changed. Manuel Neuer and Oliver Kahn have shaped goalkeeping as well as Sepp Maier. Nevertheless, I think that Maier is the best of his guild in Germany and he’s my goalkeeper. He was a clown on and off the field. But in the game he was always fully focused and concentrated.

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With all respect for players such as Pelé, Johan Cruyff, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, for me Franz Beckenbauer continues to be the best player in the world of all time. He has united all attributes you must have to have success. And nobody is as complete as he was as a football player. Franz was perfect in everything he did. That’s why people worldwide still recall the name Beckenbaur when asked about football in Germany. Mats Hummels reminds me a lot of him.

The way he is leading the defence with Bayern and the national team, so calm and composed, impresses me so much. And he is even getting better from game to game, so he joins Beckenbauer in central defence. Talking about intelligence on the field nobody can mess with Philipp Lahm. He has proved for years that the body does not imply how assertive a player is.

All top stars have tried to crack this nut. Lahm nearly always stayed victorious with fair means. As Lahm had such a perfect sense of tactics he was the extended arm of the coach too. The same counts for Paul Breitner, my other full-back. I can’t remember any bad pass when playing with him. He was “Mr. Zuverlässig” (Mr Reliable) and he always made the right decision in the right situation.

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Coming to the midfielders, it’s really a hard choice. Germany have had so many outstanding players in this position. During my career, I’ve played often against Pierre Littbarski. He was a painful opponent, because you never knew which way he was going in the next second. His dribbling was unpredictable and he surprised me again and again, so he is in. Lothar Matthäus has characterised an era with his style of playing. For me he is not far behind Beckenbauer in terms of fame worldwide. The football fans around the world still know Matthäus.

He was versatile, our engine on the pitch and a true leader. Günter Netzer was the playmaker you dreamed of. He had an incredible overview and it seemed that he had already planned the whole 90 minutes before kick-off. When he had an idea, it was put into practise 100% the way he wanted it, so he completes my midfield.

When it comes to strikers there is no getting around Gerd Müller. I don’t need to talk a lot about our “Bomber of the Nation”. He scored when there was no chance to score. Out of nothing. Again and again. Really impressive. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is a strong character as CEO of FC Bayern and he was as a player too.

A natural born leader. With his strong body he commands respect. It was nearly impossible to beat him in aerial battles. And his finishing skills were perfect. Finally I choose Rudi Völler as third striker. He set standards in terms of fighting spirit and commitment. And on top of that Rudi was a real gentleman. Young players of today should take a leaf out of his book.