𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐡 - The Prince | Mastering the Art of Football

Pep once told me : "I have a player in my team who can literally play in any position'. I asked, 'Who is the boy?' he answered 'Kimmich', I had honestly never heard of him before." - Xavi Hernandez

If there's one thing more impressive than Kimmich's versatility, it's his Inexorable rise from a third-tier midfielder with RB Leipzig to a #UCL winner and a world-class player.

" I've never seen anything like it !" - Ralf Rangnick

Born in 1995 in Rottweil, a town in southwest Germany most famous for the breed of dog named after it .

Kimmich's first club was VfB Stuttgart, where his progress within the age-level groups was made at eye-catching speed.

"I wanted to be the best at everything."

While Kimmich was a highly rated prospect growing up, It won't be enough for the first team coach to give him a single chance, nothing explains why he never broke through with Stuttgart’s first team.

At the time, The Swabians swore allegiance to only one king, TIMO WERNER.

Broken, Joshua will seek fortune elsewhere and in the summer of 2013, he'll join a young and ambitious club in the German 3rd division with a growing reputation called: 'RB Leipzig'

"I just thought i had to take this chance"

Kimmich will help Leipzig in their ascent of the German football ladder, winning promotion to Bundesliga 2 at the first attempt.

A remarkable performance that will help the young midfielder secure a spot in the Euro U19 in Hungary.

What you might call the turning point in his career. Kimmich will win his first international trophy under the eyes of a certain Michael Reschke.

Kimmich won't make it to the team of the tournament but for the Ex Bayern technical director, he was already a Bayern player.

A year later, Kimmich will join Bayern after being scouted by Guardiola too.

" 7M for Joshua Kimmich ? My word, that's a lot of money for a player who has yet to appear in the Bundesliga " - Stuttgart coach Huub Stevens.

For Stuttgart, he was maybe another player but For Bayern, Kimmich was B.Schweinsteiger's heir, the new PRINCE of Bavaria!

Joshua will go on to play more games than he did the season before with Leipzig in the Bundesliga 2., he'll feature in 36GAMES, 9 in the #CHAMPIONSLEAGUE!

Chapter I : The inexorable rise of Joshua Kimmich

Trademark ? Versatility

: "Before joining Bayern I saw myself as a central midfielder, but I soon realized as a young player looking to get game time you can’t be too fussy, you play where you’re needed"

While he made his breakthrough at the Allianz Arena as a center-back, under Guardiola, Kimmich was also used right back, right midfielder and of course replaced Xabi Alonso during some games as DM.

"Guardiola played me in different positions to make me a versatile footballer."

:"I told him that he is one of the best defenders in the world, but not only that, he can play anywhere." - Pep Guardiola.

The perfect match, Pep saw in Kimmich the complete footballer and he wasn't wrong... A few months later Joshua Kimmich will become the new RB of the NT.

Pep will leave Bayern, knowing the beast he created :

:"He will be one of the best German footballers in the next 10 years, mark my words“ - Pep Guardiola

Chapter II : The self-doubt

It's the summer of 2016 and the legendary Carlo Ancelotti is the new Bayern manager.

Carlo joined Bayern with a clear plan, he already had his starting XI in mind and Joshua Kimmich will have to fight for a spot in the midfield.

Philipp Lahm's back to his RB position & with Xabi Alonso both are retiring at the end of the season.

Tough!

:”You have days when you drive home and ask yourself: ‘Is that enough? Is your quality enough to play at Bayern Munich?”

Even if it was hard to play constantly, Kimmich has benefitted a lot from training with both Lahm and Alonso before they retire.

The two players will have a huge influence on his football and as we say "It might be stormy but it can't always rain" and Kimmich will become Bayern's RB and one of the most used players in 2017!

"he's going to have a massive future ahead of him." - Xabi Alonso

Chapter III : The Playmaker right-back!

Despite initial doubts about taking on the RB role, Joshua Kimmich will surprise everyone including himself.

The task of replacing the best fullback in BAYERN's long history isn't easy but Josh will not only succeed, he'll also impress.

The Full Back Playmaker :

Kimmich wont try to be like Lahm, he will approach the position differently more like a playmaker. Constantly moving Josh will try to follow the Guardiola codes keeping himself constantly free to receive the ball, clean first touch & a full pitch scan

His intelligence, vision, and ability to deliver the right pass at the right time will make him the world's best full-back way ahead of the competition.

"I could play in one position, he's versatile. Already one of the best players in the world" - Xavi Hernandez

Joshua Kimmich numbers as a right-back are scary to say the least :

2017/18 : 6 Goals | 17 Assists
2018/19 : 2 Goals | 18 Assists
98 touches per match
6 trophies + 1 International trophy

And when everyone saw Josh as the new legendary right back for Bayern...

A visionary man called Hansi Flick is appointed as interim coach.

Chapter IV : Joshua Kimmich ~ The complete midfielder!

Xavi and Flick saw the same thing in Kimmich, the perfect "6" a ball magnet, a warrior, a leader, and a complete midfielder.

The Kimmich ERA

:"Joshua Kimmich is a player who will shape Bayern Munich as a club" - Hansi Flick

On 1 July 2019, Hansi Flick joined Bayern Munich as an assistant coach, under the management of Niko Kovac.

4 Months later Kovač left Bayern by mutual consent and Hansi is promoted!

Since day one, Hansi knew exactly what he had to do to put Bayern back on track, which was not an easy task.

Hansi needed 5 leaders and his 5 leaders had to be at the heart of play to constitute the spine :

- Neuer - His captain
- Alaba - His CB & back 4 leader

- Kimmich - The Link
- Muller - The press machine and 1st defender
- Lewandowski - The goalscorer

It took me a while to see it, but Hansi was always right... Kimmich was born to be a midfielder and the return to the 4-2-3-1 gave the team structure and gave T.Muller a 2nd life.

As Kimmich - Thiago duo started to impress the world, Injuries will slow down Hansi Flick's plans.

Pavard's out and Joshua Kimmich will have to go back one last time to play as a right-back with his 2018 mentality.

Look closely, Kimmich constantly moving to lose his marker and give Thiago an option in the midfield... Beautiful first touch, he already knows where he will pass the ball Gnabry cross for Muller Kimmich is completely unmarked with a perfect vision of the pitch Coman

Joshua had to impress the world one last time as a right-back winning his first Champions League trophy and ending a beautiful season with an amazing accomplishment:

Defender of the Season for 2019/20!

If you have Heynckes, Pep, Flick, Mourinho, Ancelotti, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Lothar Matthaus etc... Who all say that you are one of the most intelligent and most phenomenal players in the world.

You already know you are on the path to become a legend!

The PHENOMENAL Midfielder - Tactical analysis

- TO BE CONTINUED

RT's and Likes are very much appreciated if you liked the thread.

Joshua Kimmich as a midfielder deserves a thread on it's own... Otherwise, it won't be fair to his greatness!