World Cup 2018: Germany star Joshua Kimmich urges fans not to compare him to legend Philipp Lahm
Bayern Munich star has taken over from Lahm at full-back for the Bundesliga giants and is now regarded as one of the best in the world in his position
BAYERN Munich star Joshua Kimmich has urged German fans: “Don’t try to turn me into the next Philipp Lahm.”
Kimmich, 23, has inherited Lahm’s role for both Bayern and Joachim Low’s Mannschaft, with many pundits ranking him the best right-back in the world.
Real Madrid midfield maestro Toni Kroos suggested Kimmich has the same leadership qualities as 2014 World Cup-winning skipper Lahm.
But as Germany prepare to kick off their title defence against Mexico on tomorrow, the Munich man said: “I want to be the first Joshua Kimmich, not Philipp Lahm the Second.
“To get praise like that from Toni makes me happy but it only makes we want to improve and develop.
"I also dare to talk about things and what I need to get better.
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“But I am not Philipp. He was an absolute leader and shaped the position for years.
I'm only 23 years old, I can not replace him as directly as that.
“And I do not want to copy him. But I do not care if I'm a leader or not. If I notice something and feel it has to be spoken about, I will do that.”
Kimmich added that his World Cup bow in the Luzhniki tomorrow was “a childhood dream coming true”.
He maintained there would be no complacency after being part of the German shadow side that thrashed Mexico 4-1 in last year’s Confederations Cup semi-final.
And Kimmich promised he will only get better, including subjecting himself to a few “video nasties” where he has his errors highlighted.
He said: “You have to question yourself critically and find your own weaknesses. This is the key to improving.
“And that’s why I think it's very good that you can watch video clips of games afterwards.
“You get a completely different view of situations when you are on the pitch and it means that after a bad game you can improve yourself significantly if you are willing to analyze your weak points honestly.”