Bayern Munich: Joshua Kimmich not fussed about individual awards

The final list of 30 players for the Ballon d’Or award released by France Football did raise a lot of eyebrows in the Bavarian faithful. Robert Lewandowski was the only Bayern Munich player to qualify for the award. Considering the performances of Rekordmeister, it was astonishing to see only one player in the final-30 list.

The notable absentees from the current Bayern squad were Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich. Both German players were consistent throughout the last 12 months, playing a vital role in the club’s success in Germany and Europe.

Kimmich was a key player for Die Roten in the center of the park over the past two seasons. He has been occupying the holding midfield role, dictating the play and providing the ideal platform for attacking players to flourish. Considering the number of good performances he churned out in the last couple of years, it was surprising to see him not feature in the final 30 list for Ballon d’Or.

However, Kimmich isn’t bothered about these awards. After playing a key role in Die Roten’s win against Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday, Kimmich told Sport1 (Stern.de) about focusing on the team’s goals. The German midfielder also joked about not being a good player.

"“I have to honestly say that I did not see the shortlist. I’m not surprised though, I’m not that great of an individual player.”“For me it’s important that the team wins. I can only shine when we win. You are always dependent on the team. I’m happy about a game like today and am not thinking about a shortlist.”"

Over the past half a decade, Kimmich has gone from a young talent to become an important player for one of the best clubs in Europe. He has evolved his game depending on the situation and position, which probably makes him the best utility man in Europe.

Kimmich’s role has been changing at Die Roten ever since he arrived at the club. He was deployed in the center-back position during Pep Guardiola’s last season in Bavaria. The young Kimmich delivered some excellent performances in this position.

The German international was deployed in the right-back position after the retirement of Philipp Lahm. He flourished in this role for two seasons, contributing heavily at both ends of the pitch. However, he always insisted that midfield is the area where he wants to play consistently at Die Roten.

The arrival of Benjamin Pavard paved the way for Kimmich to move to the center of the park. He has not looked back ever since moving to the central midfield. During the treble campaign, Kimmich allowed Rekordmeister to dominate the opposition in Europe. With the best years of his career ahead of him, the German international should be making the list for Ballon d’Or sooner rather than later.