Football
Stephan Uersfeld, Germany correspondent 9y

Mario Gotze: I hadn't even thought about leaving Bayern Munich

#INSERT type:image caption:Gotze will start for Germany in Friday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Poland. END#

Mario Gotze has said he never considered leaving Bayern Munich despite his struggles in recent months.

Gotze, 23, who scored Germany's World Cup final winner against Argentina last summer, insisted his stats for the Bundesliga champions "are not that bad."

The attacking midfielder will start for Germany in Friday's Euro 2016 qualifier at home to Poland, when a win would take them to the top of Group D.

Speaking after coach Joachim Low had confirmed his starting place, he said: "That is positive news for me."

Low had told reporters at a news conference: "I know how much quality he has. He is a player who thrives on being in tight spaces."

Gotze was benched for crucial club matches against Barcelona in the Champions League and his old club Borussia Dortmund during last season's run-in, despite injuries to Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.

He was criticised by the club's honorary president Franz Beckenbauer, who urged him "to finally grow up," and was linked with a move to Juventus.

Gotze told reporters: "I hadn't even considered leaving the club. I am very much committed to Bayern, and I am very thankful for the two years I have spent here.

"I feel positive at the club. I have played lots over the last couple of years, and my stats aren't too bad either."

He said, however, that he was anxious to rediscover his top form, adding: "I am looking forward to getting my form back.

"I am my own biggest critic and I am always trying to find ways to improve."

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