Lahm: I'm glad I didn't leave Bayern for England

The World Cup winner has revealed that he entertained the idea of joining a Premier League club in 2009 but is delighted that he opted to stay in Bavaria

Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm says he is glad he decided against moving to England when he was considering his future at the Allianz Arena.

After a trophyless 2008-09 campaign, the defender-turned-midfielder entertained the idea of quitting the Bavarian outfit for pastures new and was reportedly approached by a number of Premier League clubs, including Manchester United.

However, Lahm ultimately decided to stay put and has since won three Bundesliga titles, a Champions League and the Club World Cup.

“I did think about England before that and there were some interesting possibilities,” the 30-year-old told the Daily Mail.

“But Bayern are my hometown club and I was convinced we were on to a good thing again.

“I felt we had the chance to win the Champions League. I’d rather win it with my club than any other.

“Thankfully my decision turned out to be the right one.”

Having retired from international football after leading Germany to World Cup glory in Brazil this summer, Lahm’s primary focus is on helping Bayern win the Champions League for a second time in three seasons.

They once again have Manchester City for company in the group stage and kicked off their continental campaign in the best possible style by beating the English champions 1-0 at the Allianz Arena last month.

City, of course, are one of the richest clubs in world football and Lahm freely admits that he is baffled by their inability to make a big impact on the European stage.

‘I can’t really understand it because Manchester City are an outstanding team and a top side with great players like Yaya Toure,” he mused. “They’ve got so many good players in their squad.

“They did have a tough game to start with here in Munich and that puts you under pressure straight away because you have to go on and win games.

“But I still think they have the ability to go a long way in the Champions League.”

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