Klose: "I want to be the out-and-out leading goalscorer"

At the 2002 World Cup Miroslav Klose hit a hat-trick against Saudi Arabia and also scored a goal in each match against Ireland and Cameroon. Four years later he struck braces against Costa Rica and Ecuador, as well as finding the target against Argentina. Another four years down the line and the forward took his World Cup goal tally to 14 with efforts against Australia, England and a double against Argentina.

On Saturday Klose grabbed his 15th tournament goal to level the score at 2-2 against Ghana, writing his name into the record books in the process: no player has scored more World Cup goals than Klose, who equalled the best-mark set by Brazil’s Ronaldo.

In this DFB.de Interview of the Week the 36-year-old talks to editor Steffen Lüdeke about the match against Ghana, his goalscoring feats and his views on the rest of the tournament.

DFB.de: Miroslav, let’s get straight to the point: you equalled Ronaldo’s record. What does that mean to you?

Miroslav Klose: Anyone who knows me also knows that my main aim over the last few months was to play at a fourth World Cup. I’ve had a problematic year with frequent setbacks and I had to overcome a lot of difficulties, but I never lost sight of my objective. So for me it’s a great way of confirming that I’ve achieved my aim. The fact that I scored the goal so quickly is an added bonus. 15 goals in 20 games isn’t bad at all but the team is far more important than that. If I can help out in any way, I will do.

DFB.de: So are you satisfied with just the one goal?

Klose: No. My aim is to be the out-and-out leading goalscorer. I’m not done yet and I’d be lying if I said anything else. I’m a striker and strikers always want to score. I’d like to be top of the pile for as long as possible. I know how many talented forwards there are out there but I also know how difficult it is, especially at the level a World Cup is played.

DFB.de: If it was up to you, what would the new record be? 16, 17, 18 goals?

Klose: As a striker you always set yourself targets and objectives before any big tournament. Before the World Cup started I set myself the aim of scoring at least three goals. I’ve played one and scored one so far, so that’s a good start. Obviously I’d have nothing against getting more than three though.

DFB.de: You mentioned you would like to hold on to the record for as long as possible. Do you agree that one of your Germany team-mates, Thomas Müller, could be a serious threat to knocking you off top spot one day?

Klose: Absolutely. It’s clear how much ability he has just by being around him and watching him every day. There’s no question that Thomas could break the record but a lot of factors have to fall into place in order to be so successful at a World Cup. Even luck plays its part: you need to be lucky enough to be fit each time a tournament comes around. But there is no doubt that Thomas has the ability and potential to break the record. He’s a really good striker.

DFB.de: Talk us through your record-breaking goal as you saw it...

Klose: I came on the pitch and we quickly got a corner. I wanted to go for a header and I started my run, but something told me to stop short and to move to the back post. Luckily I followed my instinct as that’s exactly where the ball went.

DFB.de: So it was your nose for goal that helped you...

Klose: Yes, it was a typical poacher’s goal. You need to have a feeling for where the ball might go and everything fell into place in that moment. I was certain I was still behind the defender. I knew where I needed to position myself and I was able to tap the ball over the line.

DFB.de: Can you remember what went through your mind immediately after you scored?

Klose: No, not at all. When I was heading back towards the halfway line I remember looking to see how much time was left and being optimistic that we would get one or two more opportunities to get a winner. We got those chances, although we could just as easily have conceded another one too.

DFB.de: After you scored you celebrated with your trademark forward flip for the first time in a long while. Was that planned or did it happen spontaneously?

Klose: That was completely spontaneous. I have no idea why I did it and you could see that I was a bit rusty.

DFB.de: It was not that bad.

Klose: Unfortunately, yes it was. (laughs)

DFB.de: Even excluding World Cups, your goalscoring record for club and country is impressive. Yet your quota at the tournament itself is truly astonishing. Can you explain why you are able to find the target so frequently on the biggest stage of them all?

Klose: I’m a team player so I have my team-mates to thank for that. I was only able to score a lot of the goals because I was on the end of good moves or crosses. That’s all part of scoring; it’s not just about having a nose for goal. As a striker you’re always dependent on the quality of your team-mates and here in the national team the quality is extremely high.

DFB.de: Comparatively speaking, a lot of goals have been scored at this World Cup. Would you say it is a striker’s tournament?

Klose: You could say that yes. A lot of goals are being scored by substitutes because it’s incredibly draining here. It’s extremely difficult for defenders if a good striker with fresh legs is brought on after 60 or 70 minutes.

DFB.de: What is your take on the tournament so far? Is there a sense of coming back down to earth with a bump after the opening game, or are four points from two matches a satisfactory return?

Klose: I don’t think much as changed from our point of view ahead of the USA game. We always want to pick up three points and win the group and that’s the mindset we take into every match. We can’t expect to win 4-0 every time.

DFB.de: At the 2010 World Cup you said that tournament would be your last, which turned out not to be the case. How sure are you this time that Brazil 2014 will be your swansong?

Klose: (laughs) I’m very sure, it’s set in stone. In 2010 I really didn’t believe I’d still be involved four years later. But time flies in football and knowing there’s a European Championship or World Cup at the end of a season can give you extra motivation. That was the case with me ahead of this World Cup but I definitely won’t be at the tournament in 2018.

DFB.de: With that in mind, are you melancholic at all here in Brazil?

Klose: We want to beat USA and then the knockout rounds start after that. You never know what might happen in those games so I’m going to try to enjoy every match. If things go according to plan then we’ve still got a few left to play. We’re not at the end yet; the World Cup has only just started.