An admirer of Philipp Lahm, Josip Stanisic embracing his role at Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich defender Josip Stanisic has a realistic approach toward his status on the squad and what it might take for him to eventually become a starter.

Still, the young Croatian international knows that sometimes even very good players have to take a backseat to stick with a club like Bayern Munich.

“I’m not someone who makes great demands, also because I know that maybe I’m not ready yet,” said Stanisic in an interview with FCBayern.com. “I want to keep improving so that I can be the coach’s first option when someone gets injured or needs a break.”

Playing right-back is no easy task, but Stanisic believes he has the requisite skill-set to contribute at the position.

“It all depends on the type of player. (Alphonso) Phonzie Davies is very dangerous on the offensive with his incredible speed. That’s why he should bring that into the game as often as possible. I, on the other hand, am a trained defender, for me the defense is the key point. I only step forward when I can and when it makes sense. You have to trust your own strengths and not try to copy someone else,” said Stanisic.

The Croatia international looks up to Bayern Munich start Benjamin Pavard — and sees a little bit of himself within Pavard’s game.

“(Pavard is) a bit more dangerous than me offensively, but he’s always right at the back and is there because he makes so many meters during a game. Philipp Lahm was my idol when I watched training as a child. I don’t think Lahm had a game in his entire career in which he made two mistakes,” Stanisic said.