Athlete

Between 2008 and 2010 I exhausted myself because I wanted to please everyone.

Everyone's entitled to be a fan of team and to support his side.

You can't expect our opponents to play cautiously.

Winning the cannon was a childhood dream.

I don't measure my performances in goals any more, it's more important that my team-mates see how hard I work for them.

Bayern Munich made it possible for me to achieve the greatest wish of any footballer: Winning the Champions League.

Of course I want to score more goals in the Champions League. But I never want to compare myself or be compared to Lionel Messi.

If I become a European champion, I don't care whether I have absolute recognition or not.

Being gay is no longer a taboo subject in Germany.

We have to win if we want to be champions.

I didn't like watching football on TV. It was always so boring to me. Why sit in front of the screen, when you could go outside and play the game for real?

If for half a year you only get 10 minutes to play from the bench, then you have no rhythm.

At 26, you're in your prime as a striker. And in the mid-20s you're more mature, you have experience in game-deciding situations, you stay relaxed.

I don't have any use for the hatred in a football stadium.

I play this sport because I love football.

I have played for many clubs, and for many managers, and been through many highs and lows. But one thing has never changed. And that's the feeling of scoring a goal.

Merkel is a big fan of football.