"I felt right at home" — Tom Bischof enjoying life with Bayern Munich | OneFootball

It's never easy for a young player to make the jump to Bayern Munich. For Tom Bischof, though, the move has gone exactly to plan. The 20-year-old has been a valuable player for Vincent Kompany, playing 38 games across all competitions.

Part of what has seen Bischof thrive is his versatility. Bischof is a natural midfielder, but with Bayern struggling with injuries at times this season, the German has had to fill in elsewhere. That includes on both sides of defense, somewhere he hadn't played before.

“I was seen as a number six, but then the full-backs got injured at certain times and often one after the other,” said Bischof in an interview with the DFL. “There was always someone missing, either on the left or right. I was able to fill in, and this gave me self-confidence.”

Bischof has impressed when called upon in defense. Each of his three Bundesliga goals this season has come from left-back, with the youngster scoring a brace against SC Freiburg to complete a wild comeback win.

On the final matchday, he scored another goal from a similar position in a 5-1 win over 1. FC Köln. All three of his goals were similar, long-range strikes on the edge of the box. Even though Bischof doesn't necessarily have the pace of Bayern's normal starter at left-back, Alphonso Davies, his goalscoring threat means he is still dangerous going forward.

“On the ball, the full-backs play more as a number eight,” said Bischof. “I still have the opportunity to get involved in attack and was able to have a few shots. This suits my game and it is fun for me, so I am very happy.”

Performances like the dominant win over Köln have helped Bayern retain the Bundesliga title under Vincent Kompany. The club lost just one game all season and picked up a remarkable 89 points, finishing well ahead of Borussia Dortmund. The Bundesliga and the Super Cup are the first trophies of Bischof's young career.

In the Champions League, Bayern fell just short, losing 6-5 on aggregate to PSG in the semi-finals. Bischof was sidelined with an injury during both legs against the Ligue 1 side, but he still has one last chance to experience cup success this season when Bayern take on VfB Stuttgart on Saturday in the DFB Pokal.

“Stuttgart play good football because they are calm on the ball and they don't try to play forward too quickly,” said Bischof. “They are in the final for a reason, and we will see what happens.”

Whether Bayern wins in Berlin or not, this has been a successful season, both for the club and Bischof. He joined Bayern as a young midfielder with just one full season of Bundesliga experience at Hoffenheim. Now, he's become an important and more versatile player for the Meisterschale winners. Bayern is right where Bischof belongs.

“I had never experienced a transfer like this, so I did question whether it would be easy or hard to find my way in the team. Luckily, it was very easy for me, and the club helped me a lot,” said Bischof. “I felt right at home and simply enjoyed being on the pitch.”