View source for Frank Mill

{{short description|German former professional footballer (born 1958)}}
{{BLP sources|date=September 2008}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
|                name = Frank Mill
|               image = Frank Mill.jpg
|             upright = 0.9
|             caption = Mill in 2013
|           full_name = 
|          birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|7|23|df=yes}}
|         birth_place = [[Essen]], [[West Germany]]
|              height = 1.76 m
|            position = [[Striker (association football)|Striker]]
|         youthyears1 = 1966–1972
|         youthclubs1 = Eintracht Essen
|         youthyears2 = 1972–1976
|         youthclubs2 = [[Rot-Weiss Essen]]
|              years1 = 1976–1981
|              clubs1 = [[Rot-Weiss Essen]]
|               caps1 = 120
|              goals1 = 74
|              years2 = 1981–1986
|              clubs2 = [[Borussia Mönchengladbach]]
|               caps2 = 153
|              goals2 = 71
|              years3 = 1986–1994
|              clubs3 = [[Borussia Dortmund]]
|               caps3 = 187
|              goals3 = 47
|              years4 = 1994–1996
|              clubs4 = [[Fortuna Düsseldorf]]
|               caps4 = 55
|              goals4 = 7
|           totalcaps = 506
|          totalgoals = 201
|      nationalyears1 = 1980
|       nationalteam1 = [[Germany national under-21 football team|West Germany U-21]]
|       nationalcaps1 = 2
|      nationalgoals1 = 0
|      nationalyears2 = 1983–1988
|       nationalteam2 = [[Germany Olympic football team|West Germany Olympic]]
|       nationalcaps2 = 20
|      nationalgoals2 = 10
|      nationalyears3 = 1982–1990
|       nationalteam3 = [[West Germany national football team|West Germany]]
|       nationalcaps3 = 17
|      nationalgoals3 = 0
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Team|[[Borussia Mönchengladbach]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[DFB-Pokal]]|[[1983–84 DFB-Pokal|1984]]}}
{{Medal|Team|[[Borussia Dortmund]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[DFB-Pokal]]|[[1988–89 DFB-Pokal|1989]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[DFB-Supercup]]|[[1989 DFB-Supercup|1989]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[UEFA Cup]]|[[1992–93 UEFA Cup|1993]]}}
{{Medal|Team|{{fb|West Germany}}}}
{{Medal|3rd|[[Olympic Football Tournament|Olympics]]|[[Football at the 1988 Summer Olympics|1988]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[FIFA World Cup]]|[[1990 FIFA World Cup|1990]]}}
}}
'''Frank Mill''' (born 23 July 1958) is a German former professional [[Association football|footballer]]<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.worldfootball.net/spieler_profil/frank-mill/ | title = Frank Mill | publisher = worldfootball.net | access-date = 21 August 2012}}</ref> who was a member of the [[1990 FIFA World Cup]] winning squad of [[West Germany national football team|West Germany]]. Further, he participated at the [[1984 Summer Olympics|1984]] and at the [[1988 Summer Olympics]], where he won the bronze medal with the West German team.

==Career==
The son of a [[waste|junk dealer]],<ref name=BBC21>{{cite web | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59696612 | title = Frank Mill: The Germany striker whose name means failure - and how he found success | website = [[BBC Sport]] | date = 23 December 2021 | access-date = 24 December 2021 | first = Ron | last = Ulrich}}</ref>  Mill began his career at the age of six at local side Eintracht Essen before joining the youth ranks of [[Essen]]'s biggest club, [[Rot-Weiss Essen]], in 1972. Starting job training to become a florist (his mother owned a flower shop), Mill signed his first professional contract with [[Rot-Weiss Essen|Rot-Weiss]] in 1976. Essen was a [[Bundesliga]] side in his debut season, a campaign in which his three goals (in a total of 19 appearances) couldn't prevent the team from dropping down to [[2. Bundesliga North (1974–81)|2. Bundesliga North]]. In that division he grew to become a reliable hitman, scoring 71 goals for Rot-Weiss (at times alongside [[Horst Hrubesch]]) over the next four seasons, forty of those in just 38 appearances during 1979–80. This tally made him the top goalscorer of 2. Bundesliga Nord, making him a prime target for a transfer, and in 1981 he was to return to the Bundesliga upon being signed by [[Jupp Heynckes]] of [[Borussia Mönchengladbach]].

At Mönchengladbach he kept on scoring, netting fourteen goals in his first year under contract. Only eight months into his life at [[Bökelberg]] he was called up by [[Jupp Derwall]] to represent West Germany for the first time in his career. On 21 March 1982, he featured in a friendly against [[Brazil]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]].<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/fmill-intl.html | title = Frank Mill - International Appearances | author = Matthias Arnhold | date = 5 February 2015 | access-date = 13 February 2015 | publisher = Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation}}</ref> A back injury forced him out of the West German squad for the [[1982 FIFA World Cup]] tournament, and also hampered his scoring abilities during the next season. In [[1983–84 Bundesliga|1983–84]] he recaptured his place as Mönchengladbach's top scorer, firing nineteen goals past opposing goalkeepers that season. Missing out on the Bundesliga title on the final day (and only on goal difference) to [[VfB Stuttgart]], Mönchengladbach then had to deal with a second major blow, as the team also lost the [[DFB-Pokal]] final on penalties against [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] (with his Bayern Munich-bound team-mate [[Lothar Matthäus]] failing to score from the spot in the shoot-out). Mill scored the only Mönchengladbach goal in normal time during [[1984 DFB-Pokal Final|that match]].

Later that summer Mill participated in the [[1984 Summer Olympics]], and he was still Borussia Mönchengladbach's best striker when fellow Bundesliga side [[Borussia Dortmund]] persuaded him to switch over to them at the end of the 1985–86 Bundesliga season.<ref name=BBC21/> Although Mönchengladbach was receiving adequate compensation (1.3 million DM) for his services, the move remained somewhat in the balance for a couple of weeks as Dortmund had to first go through [[1985–86 Bundesliga#Relegation play-offs|three relegation play-offs]] to ensure their Bundesliga future. Once signed, however, Mill inspired Dortmund to a less troubled 1986–87 season, the striker's seventeen goals in 31 appearances helping Dortmund up to a fourth-place finish and a berth in the [[UEFA Cup]] the following season – although he had to suffer enduring mocking for failing to score from an open goal against Bayern Munich on the opening day.<ref name=BBC21/> His scoring punch made him a popular figure at [[Westfalenstadion]] immediately, subsequently earning him the role of team captain. Outside of his club, he was part of the host nation's squad at [[UEFA European Football Championship|Euro 1988]]. Increasingly popular and seen as a role model, a disagreement over Mill's captaincy and his role within the Dortmund squad between the club's chairman, Dr. Gerd Niebaum, and manager, [[Reinhard Saftig]], resulted in the latter being replaced by [[Horst Köppel]], leaving no doubt that the chairman's view regarding Mill's role had prevailed.

Mill looked a bit out of form after Köppel's take over: although he had won bronze with Germany at the [[1988 Summer Olympics]], his once impressive scoring quota had begun to fade. Still, he remained an important player for his club and was part of the Dortmund team that lifted the DFB-Pokal trophy in [[1989 DFB-Pokal Final|1989]], beating favourites [[Werder Bremen]] in the final.<ref name=BBC21/> At that time Mill was kind of an ageing marksman, but in 1990 [[Franz Beckenbauer]] rewarded his durability with a place in the West German squad for the [[1990 FIFA World Cup|1990 World Cup]]. However, with proven goalscorer [[Rudi Völler]] and youngsters [[Jürgen Klinsmann]] and [[Karlheinz Riedle]] all well in front of him in Beckenbauer's thoughts, he remained the unused fourth-choice striker during those successful weeks in Italy.<ref name=BBC21/>

At club level Mill's fading punch in front of the goal saw him go through a transformation from scorer to assist winner, but this still couldn't prevent him from being forced out to the fringes of the Borussia Dortmund first-team. In 1991, Köppel departed as manager and his successor, [[Ottmar Hitzfeld]], started to set his stamp on the development of the club. With [[Stéphane Chapuisat]] and [[Flemming Povlsen]] Hitzfeld's regular picks in the Dortmund frontline, Mill was usually placed in a sub-role and, at the end of Hitzfeld's debut season in charge of the club, [[1991–92 Bundesliga|1991–92]], missed out on the Bundesliga title again - for the second time in his career and in almost identical circumstances: on goal difference and due to final day action, with VfB Stuttgart finishing as champions. They entered the UEFA Cup and reached [[1993 UEFA Cup Final|the final]], losing to [[Juventus]].

Still a fan favourite at [[Westfalenstadion]], Mill saw out his deal with the club in 1994 to join promoted [[Fortuna Düsseldorf]] in the 2nd Bundesliga. There he enjoyed two more seasons in the game, scoring five times in his first season at [[Rheinstadion]], efforts that helped Fortuna return to the Bundesliga. His final twelve months as a professional, during the 1995–96 season, saw him experience a bright start with two goals in the first three matches. He couldn't add any more in his next 26 appearances for Düsseldorf, however, and his final Bundesliga totals were 123 goals in 387 appearances for Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and Fortuna Düsseldorf.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/players/fmilldata.html | title = Frank Mill - Matches and Goals in Bundesliga | author = Matthias Arnhold | date = 5 February 2015 | access-date = 13 February 2015 | publisher = Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation}}</ref>

Shortly after the end of his career, Fortuna Düsseldorf offered him a role as a director in their management, a role he later left by mutual consent following a lack of success.

==Honours==
'''Borussia Mönchengladbach'''
* [[DFB-Pokal]]: Runner-up [[1983–84 DFB-Pokal|1983–84]]

'''Borussia Dortmund'''
* [[DFB-Pokal]]: [[1988–89 DFB-Pokal|1988–89]]
* [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]]: Runner-up [[1992–93 UEFA Cup|1992–93]]

'''West Germany'''
* [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]]: [[1990 FIFA World Cup|1990]]
* [[Football at the Summer Olympics|Olympics]]: Bronze Medal: [[Football at the 1988 Summer Olympics|1988]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Fussballdaten|millfrank|Frank Mill}}
* {{Worldfootball.net|frank-mill}}

{{1986–87 kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season}}
{{2. Bundesliga top scorers}}
{{Navboxes
|bg= white
|fg= black
|bordercolor= black
|title= Germany squads
|list1=
{{West Germany football squad 1984 Summer Olympics}}
{{West Germany squad UEFA Euro 1988}}
{{West Germany football squad 1988 Summer Olympics}}
{{West Germany squad 1990 FIFA World Cup}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mill, Frank}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Essen]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:German men's footballers]]
[[Category:Rot-Weiss Essen players]]
[[Category:Borussia Mönchengladbach players]]
[[Category:Borussia Dortmund players]]
[[Category:Fortuna Düsseldorf players]]
[[Category:Germany men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Olympic footballers for West Germany]]
[[Category:West German men's footballers]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for West Germany]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1988 players]]
[[Category:1990 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup–winning players]]
[[Category:Germany men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:2. Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in football]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]