Lukas Podolski has put two frustrating years behind him to lead Germany to the semi-finals of Euro 2008 and prove his best young player award at the last World Cup was a promise of more to come.
Podolski, a centre forward by trade, lost his place in the team to Mario Gomez before the tournament but has reinvented himself as a midfielder to great effect, scoring three times and playing a key role in the quarter-final win over Portugal.
"The last two years have not been easy," Podolski said in the build-up to Wednesday's semi-final against Turkey in Basel.
"I didn't get too many games at Bayern Munich but I resolved to train as hard as possible, to claw my way back into the national team. Now I want to reach the final."
Dropping him would now be unthinkable for coach Joachim Loew, but for a long time it looked as though the 23-year-old would have to scrap it out for a place on the bench.
After his explosion on to the international scene at the 2006 World Cup, when he scored three goals and formed a deadly partnership with fellow Polish-born striker Miroslav Klose, he found life back in the Bundesliga an altogether tougher affair.
After moving to Bayern he managed just nine league goals in two seasons and while he continued finding the net for Germany -- he bagged eight in the qualifiers -- his place came under pressure from the rapidly improving Gomez.
It was clear heading into Euro 2008 that Gomez would be Klose's strike partner but there was a gap in midfield and Podolski took his chance.
Apart from the goals, and a superb assist for Bastian Schweinsteiger's opener against Portugal, Podolski has tracked back diligently and formed a great partnership with Bayern team mate Philipp Lahm on Germany's left side.
His club future has been the subject of intense speculation in Germany but the player himself is happy to concentrate on helping the team make up for the disappointment of their World Cup semi-final defeat by Italy in 2006.
"I haven't had any contact with anyone at Bayern," Podolski said. "My only goal is to win Euro 2008 with Germany. Everything else comes later."
© 2024 Rediff.com -