Football
Mark Rodden 9y

Bastian Schweinsteiger No. 31 Bayern jersey should be retired - Hitzfeld

Former Bayern Munich manager Ottmar Hitzfeld says that the German club should retire Bastian Schweinsteiger's former jersey number.

Schweinsteiger, 30, ended a 17-year stay at the Bundesliga giants when he completed a £14.5 million move to Manchester United on Monday.

In total, the Germany captain featured in 500 competitive matches for Bayern and scored 66 goals.

In view of the impact that Schweinsteiger made at the club, Hitzfeld, 66, said that no one should wear his former jersey in future.

"Bastian's No. 31 actually now belongs in the archives," the ex-Switzerland boss told SportBild.

"I'm sure it won't be given to anyone else in the short-term. This number will always stand for him -- it's possible it will never again be assigned to another player."

Hitzfeld's tribute follows that of another ex-Bayern manager, Jupp Heynckes, who said that Schweinsteiger should be compared favourably with fellow World Cup winners Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller.

Meanwhile, the Bundesliga champions have said that they will try to find a solution for anyone who recently bought a new Bayern jersey with Schweinsteiger's name and number on the back of it.

However, club merchandising officer Hans Pfluger does not think that there will be many returns, telling kicker:  "I believe that almost everyone who has bought our new jersey with Schweinsteiger's name on it will want to keep it. Even after his transfer, Basti is of huge significance to the fans."

Schweinsteiger has insisted his injury problems are part of his past and is confident they will not hinder him in his United career.

While he only started 15 of Bayern's 34 Bundesliga games last season as he struggled to stay fit, the midfielder has allayed fears he could spend time on the Old Trafford treatment table.

United boss Louis van Gaal also added Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin to his midfield on Monday to bolster his options for a Champions League return.

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