Holger Badstuber

Profile Football Stars | Holger Badstuber | From 2002 to 2007, Badstuber progressed through the youth setup at Bayern Munich. He played for Bayern's reserve team before signing professional terms in July 2009, along with team-mate Thomas Müller, having been an unused substitute in a number of first-team matches in the 2008-09 season. However the youngster impressed in his first season, started all league games and one save in the 2009-10 Bundesliga season. Throughout the 2010-11 season with Bayern, Badstuber endured a tumultuous relationship with coach Louis van Gaal, who That Despite stating he has high trust in Badstuber, Criticized him strongly Following a number of poor performances.

Badstuber was then selected in Germany's 23-man squad for the world cup finals in South Africa on 1 June, and being handed the squad number 14 shirt by coach Joachim Low. Badstuber then started the next group game against Serbia on 18 June 2010 in Port Elizabeth at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. He played 77 minutes, prior to being substituted for fellow Bayern team mate Mario Gómez.  After the World Cup Erratic, Badstuber improved his performances with consistency and established Himself as a defender in the starting lineup Low's team.

He helped Germany to win all 10 matches of the Mannschaft's qualification campaign for Euro 2012 to top group A by playing nine out of a possible ten matches, he was only spared in the - for qualification irrelevant - last match against Belgium. During the campaign Badstuber scored his first goal, the 5-1 against Azerbaijan, he headed home a corner kick by Mesut Özil. In a friendly 3-3 draw on 11 November 2011 against Ukraine, in the international match Inauguration of the new Olympic Stadium Kiev, Low's experimental formation featured only three defenders, Badstuber was named as the single center back, this was interpreted as a signal That Candidates out of many possible Badstuber has established Himself as Low's most Important player in Germany's central defense.

Personal information
Full name Holger Badstuber
Date of birth 13 March 1989 (age 23)
Place of birth Memmingen, West Germany
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Centre back / Left back

Club information
Current club Bayern Munich
Number 28

Youth career
TSV 1994-2000 Rot
VfB Stuttgart 2000-2002
Bayern Munich 2002-2007

Senior career
years Team
Bayern Munich II 2007-2009 55 (7)
2009-Bayern Munich 88 (1)

National team
2007-2008 Germany U19 2 (0)
2008-2009 Germany U20 3 (0)
2009-2010 Germany U21 7 (2)
2010-Germany 19 (1)

Honours

Club
Bayern Munich
     Bundesliga Champion: 2009-10
     DFB-Pokal: 2009-10
     DFL-Supercup (1): 2010
     UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2009-10

Germany
     FIFA World Cup 2010: Third place - Bronze medal

Manuel Neuer

Profile Football Stars | Manuel Neuer | Neuer signed professional terms in 2005 after progressing through every age group at his hometown club. The 20-year-old eventually won the starting position when Rost was surprisingly dropped for the crunch clash against Bayern Munich. On 5 March 2008, in the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League, Neuer Fantastically performed against FC Porto where he almost single-handedly kept Schalke in the game with some brilliant saves and forced the game into Penalties. He then saved Penalties from Bruno Alves and Lisandro Lopez to help Schalke advance to the quarter finals. The 2008-09 season was somewhat disappointing as Schalke finished eighth in the league tables and missed out on a Europa League spot.

However, his good showing at the 2009 U-21 European Championships sparked interest from Bayern Munich, with Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge declaring interest in signing the young Goalkeeper. Schalke's new manager Felix Magath, however, insisted That Neuer "will play for Schalke next season". In November, he was the only German Goalkeeper in the list of five nominated Goalkeepers for the UEFA Team of the Year. On 1 June 2011 Schalke and Bayern Munich confirmed Neuer That would move to Bayern Munich in July 2011.

After hostilities against Neuer of Bayern fans (some fans were unhappy about buying a Bayern Schalke keeper), a round-table discussion Between Bayern Munich and group of supporters' representatives took place on 2 July 2011. Right in the first weeks at Bayern, after a 0-0 draw with Hoffenheim, Bayern Munich Neuer broke the record for most competitive clean sheets in a row, having gone over 1000 minutes without conceding.  After progressing through the youth teams, Neuer made his U-21 debut on 15 August 2006 against the Netherlands.

He won the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship with the Germany national under-21 football team in Sweden and kept a clean sheet in the 4-0 win in the final against England Became Germany's Neuer then first choice ahead of Goalkeeper Tim Wiese and Hans-Jörg Butt for the upcoming tournament.  Neuer was selected as Germany's number one Goalkeeper for the World Cup in South Africa. During the group stages, he only conceded a single goal, a close-range shot by Jovanovic in the match against Serbia. He Provided the assist for Klose's opening goal against England, winning 4-1.

Personal information
Full name Manuel Neuer
Date of birth 27 March 1986 (age 26)
Place of birth Gelsenkirchen, West Germany
Height 1.94 m (6 ft 4 1/2 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper

Club information
Current club Bayern Munich
Number 1

Youth career
1991-2005 Schalke 04

Senior career
years Team
2004-2008 Schalke 04 II 26 (0)
2006-2011 Schalke 04 155 (0)
2011-Bayern Munich 32 (0)

National team
2004 Germany U18 1 (0)
2004-2005 Germany U19 11 (0)
2005-2006 Germany U20 4 (0)
2006-2009 Germany U21 20 (0)
2009-Germany 25 (0)

Honours

Club
Schalke 04
     DFB-Pokal: 2010-11
     DFB-Ligapokal: 2005

Germany
     UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship 2009
     FIFA World Cup 2010: Third place - Bronze medal

Individual
     Best Bundesliga Goalkeeper: 2007
     Best UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Goalkeeper: 2009
     Fritz-Walter-2005 in Silver Medal (U19 Category)
     Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (1): 2010
     Best Bundesliga Player of the Year: 2011

Bastian Schweinsteiger

Profile Football Stars | Bastian Schweinsteiger | Schweinsteiger has won many awards in his club and international careers, Including five Bundesliga titles, five German Cups, two League Cups and.  As of January 2011, he is the vice-captain of Bayern Munich to long-time teammate Philipp Lahm. Schweinsteiger signed with Bayern Munich as a youth team player on 1 July 1998 and rose through the club's youth sides. Having won the German youth championship in July 2002, Schweinsteiger Quickly earned a place in the reserves, producing a string of solid third division displays.  The next season he played 26 Bundesliga games. 

He scored his first Bayern goal against VfL Wolfsburg in September 2003. Surprisingly sent back to Bayern's reserve team by new coach Felix Magath at the beginning of the 2005-06 season Despite his international exploits of the summer in the Confederations Cup, Schweinsteiger swiftly returned to play a role in the double-winning campaign and scored in Bayern's Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat at Chelsea. Over the next three seasons, up until the end of 2007-08, Schweinsteiger made appearances in all competitions 135 for Bayern Munich (UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup), scoring 10 goals in the process. On 15 August 2008, Schweinsteiger scored the first goal of the 2008-09 Bundesliga season. On 25 April 2012, Schweinsteiger scored from the last and match-clinching penalty kick against Real Madrid to send Munich to the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final.

Bastian Schweinsteiger made his international debut in 2004 in a friendly against Hungary. Bayern's number 31 earned rave reviews for his performances in Portugal, showing combative skills and even setting up the opening goal for Bayern former teammate Michael Ballack in Germany's 2-1 loss against the Czech Republic. During Euro 2008 qualifiers, he scored two goals en route to a record 13-0 win over San Marino in San Marino. He scored the third goal in Germany's 4-1 win over Slovakia in Bratislava. Once again he was instrumental in Germany's 3-2 win, scoring one goal and setting up the other two. He also scored his country's first goal in the 3-2 semifinal victory against Turkey.

Overall, Schweinsteiger recorded three assists in seven matches in South Africa, the which tied him for the most assists in the finals with Dirk Kuyt, Kaká, Thomas Müller and Mesut Özil. As of 4 April 2011, Schweinsteiger has been capped 88 times and has scored 22 goals for the Germany national football team since making his debut in 2004. He has also been to four major tournaments with the German squad: UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal, FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany, UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria-Switzerland, and the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

Personal information
Full name Bastian Schweinsteiger
Date of birth 1 August 1984 (age 27)
Place of birth Kolbermoor, West Germany
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)

Playing position Midfielder

Club information
Current club Bayern Munich
Number 31

Youth career
FV 1990-1992 Oberaudorf
1992-1998 TSV 1860 Rosenheim
Bayern Munich 1998-2002

Senior career
years Team
Bayern Munich II 2002-2004 34 (2)
2002-Bayern Munich 269 (29)

National team
2004 Germany U-21 7 (2)
2004-Germany 90 (23)

Honours
Club
Bayern Munich Junior Team
     Under 17 Bundesliga (1): 2001
     Under 19 Bundesliga (1): 2002

Bayern Munich II
     Regionalliga Süd (1): 2004

Bayern Munich
     Bundesliga (5): 2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08, 2009-10
     DFB-Pokal (5): 2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08, 2009-10
     DFB-Ligapokal (2): 2004, 2007
     DFB-Supercup (1): 2010

Germany
     FIFA Confederations Cup Third Place: 2005
     FIFA World Cup Third Place: 2006 & 2010
     UEFA European Football Championship Runner-up: 2008

Individual
     FIFA World Cup All Star Team: 2010
     Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (2): 2006, 2010

Philipp Lahm

Profile Football Stars | Philipp Lahm | Although Lahm is right-footed, he is Able to play on both sides of the pitch. Lahm developed into a professional football player within the Bayern Munich Junior Team. He joined the team at the age of 11 after a youth coach, Jan Pienta, had scouted him several times while he was playing for the local youth team in his Gern hometown, Munich. Up to this point Lahm played as a defensive midfielder, right midfielder or right full-back. Since Willy Sagnol was playing as right back, Bixente Lizarazu was the main left back for Bayern Munich, and Their midfield was also well-staffed , Lahm was loaned to VfB Stuttgart for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 Bundesliga seasons.

Lahm's first Champions League appearance in the previous season with Bayern Munich as a late substitute against RC Lens was now Followed by his first Champions League game in the starting line-up on the 29 September 2003, against Manchester United. During the 2003-04 season Lahm eventually Appeared for Stuttgart in 31 Bundesliga and seven Champions League matches and came second in the election for the German footballer of the year. During the second season in Stuttgart (2004-2005) Lahm had substantially more difficult, time.

In July 2005, Lahm returned to Bayern Munich. During the season he Appeared 20 times for Bayern in the Bundesliga Thrice in the Champions League and, contending over field-time evenly with Bixente Lizarazu. During the season 2006-07 Lahm played in all of Bayern's 34 Bundesliga games and in nine of the ten Champions League games and was only substituted twice, Mainly Because he was the only left back in the team but also due to his sufficiently solid performances during That was a season of one of the worst for Bayern in many years. During the 2009-10 season under the new coach Louis van Gaal, Lahm was Able to play in his preferred position as a right-back. Lahm was also chosen as vice-captain by Van Gaal, and played full time in all of Bayern's competitive matches apart from the first round game in the German Cup. After the departure of captain Mark van Bommel in January 2011, Lahm was made the new captain for the remainder of the season.

Lahm started his international career in the U19 national team. He was part of the team won silver for That Germany in the 2002 U19 European championship playing in all games in the final tournament and scoring a crucial goal in the 90th minute (2-3) against England in a game That ended 3-3. Lahm was ever present during Germany's 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign and was the only player to play every single minute. Following the withdrawal of regular captain Michael Ballack from the World Cup squad due to injury, Lahm was chosen to captain the team at the upcoming tournament. On 13 June 2010, he captained the German National Team in the opening game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup against Australia, Becoming the youngest player to captain a German side in a World Cup tournament. Lahm's captaincy would Became permanent later, when coach Joachim Low Announced Ballack would not be Considered to play for Germany anymore.  Captain Lahm's solid defending helped Germany win all ten qualification matches for Euro 2012, and he also Provided one assist each for Mesut Özil and Mario Gomez.

Personal information

Full name Philipp Lahm

Date of birth 11 November 1983 (age 28)

Place of birth Munich, West Germany

Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)

Playing position Full back

Club information

Current club Bayern Munich

Number 21

Youth career

FT Gern München 1989-1995

Bayern Munich 1995-2001

Senior career

years Team

Bayern Munich II 2001-2003 63 (3)

2003-Bayern Munich 202 (7)

VfB Stuttgart 2003-2005 (loan) 53 (3)

National team

2003 Germany U-21 3 (0)

2004-Germany 85 (4)

Honours

Club

Bayern Munich

     Bundesliga: 2002-03, 2005-06, 2007-08, 2009-10

     DFB-Pokal: 2002-03, 2005-06, 2007-08, 2009-10

     DFB-Ligapokal: 2007

     U-19 Bundesliga: 2001, 2002

National team

     UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship Runner-up: 2002

     FIFA World Cup Third Place: 2006, 2010

     UEFA European Football Championship Runner-up: 2008

Individual

     Man of the Match: for his performance in the game Germany versus Poland,

     FIFA World Cup 2006

     WC 2006 Mastercard All Star Team

     Man of the Match: for his performance in the Semi-final

     Game of Germany versus Turkey (25 June), UEFA Euro 2008

     Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament

     UEFA Team of the Year: 2006, 2008,

     FIFA Team of the Year: 2008

     FIFA World Cup All Star Team: 2006, 2010

     Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (2): 2006, 2010

Thomas Müller

Profile Football Stars | Thomas Müller | A product of Bayern's youth system, he made his first-team breakthrough in the 2009-10 season after Louis van Gaal was appointed as the main coach; he played almost every game as the club won the league and cup double and reached the Champions League final. This accomplishment earned him an international call-up, and at the end of the season he was named in Germany's squad for the 2010 World Cup, where he scored five goals in six appearances as the team finished in third place. He was named as the Best Young Player of the tournament and won the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer, with five goals and three assists.

The Following season, Bayern's second string qualified for the newly formed 3rd League, and Müller established Himself as a key player - he played in 32 out of 38 matches and scored 15 times to the make him the league's fifth top scorer.

In February 2009, Mueller signed his first contract for the senior team, a two year deal effective from the 2009-10 season, along with team-mate reserve Holger Badstuber. In the first few matches Müller was a regular substitute, and on 12 September 2009, he was Brought on against Borussia Dortmund and scored two goals in a 5-1 victory. In February 2010, Müller signed a new contract with Bayern Munich through 2013. In April 2010, he scored the second goal in a 2-1 win against title rivals Schalke 04, and in the Penultimate league match of the season, he scored the first hat-trick of his career, in a 3-1 win over Bochum Effectively the which secured the German title for Bayern Munich. The title was confirmed a week later with a 3-1 win at Hertha BSC, Müller started the which a match.

Müller returned from his post-World Cup break to sign another contract extension, this time extending his stay at Bayern until 2015. Two weeks later he scored the opening goal of Bayern's league season in a 2-1 home win against VfL Wolfsburg. Müller played in every match of the first half of the season, usually as a starter, but as the team struggled for results, Müller was Unable to match the previous season's goalscoring exploits, being dropped to the bench, and even receiving a telling off from Louis van Gaal after missing an easy chance in a 2-0 defeat against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in August. Müller started all ten of Germany's qualifiers for Euro 2012, as the team qualified for the finals with a 100% record.

Personal information
Full name Thomas Müller
Date of birth 13 September 1989 (age 22)
Place of birth Weilheim, West Germany
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Midfielder / Forward

Club information
Current club Bayern Munich
Number 25

Youth career
TSV 1993-2000 Pahl
Bayern Munich 2000-2007

Senior career
years Team
2007-2009 Bayern Munich II 35 (16)
2008-Bayern Munich 98 (29)

National team
2004-2005 Germany U16 6 (4)
2007 Germany U19 1 (0)
2008 Germany U20 1 (1)
2009-2010 Germany U21 6 (1)
2010-Germany 26 (10)

Honours

Club
Bayern Munich
     Bundesliga (1): 2010
     DFB-Pokal (1): 2010
     DFL-Supercup (1): 2010
     UEFA Champions League Runner-up: 2010

International
     Third place FIFA World Cup: 2010

Individual
     FIFA World Cup Golden Boot (1): 2010
     FIFA World Cup Best Young Player (1): 2010
     Bayerischer Sportpreis (1): 2010
     Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (1): 2010
     VDV Newcomer of the Year (1): 2010
     World Soccer Young Player of the Year (1): 2010
     Bravo Award: 2010
     FIFA Ballon d'Or Shortlist nominee (2010 15th place, 2011 13th place)

Sami Khedira

 

Profile Football Stars | Sami Khedira | Khedira moved to Real Madrid from VfB Stuttgart in 2010. Before joining the youth team of VfB Stuttgart in 1995, he played at TV Oeffingen. Followed His debut on 1 October 2006 against Hertha BSC. Sami Khedira, is a German footballer currently playing for Real Madrid and the German national team. 

On 30 July 2010 Khedira moved to Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee. Khedira was assigned the number 24 shirt, since 2011-2012 La Liga season he changed to the number "6" jersey. Khedira made his debut for Real Madrid on 13 August 2010 in a friendly match against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid won 4-2 the which in Penalties. This resulted in Real Madrid winning the Franz-Beckenbauer-Cup. On 3 August 2011, he scored his first goal for Real Madrid during a pre-season match against Guangzhou Evergrande. He scored his first competitive goal for Real Madrid in the Champions League, on 18 October 2011 against Olympique Lyonnais.

Khedira has Appeared 30 times in Several German youth national teams, he captained the side during the European Under-21 Championship 2009, the which Germany has won in the final against England 4-0. Khedira made his debut for the senior national squad on 5 September 2009 in a friendly match against South Africa. Khedira made his debut for the senior national squad on 5 September 2009 in a friendly match against South Africa.

Personal information
Full name Sami Khedira
Date of birth 4 April 1987 (age 24)
Place of birth of Stuttgart, West Germany
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Midfielder

Club information
Current club Real Madrid
Number 6

Youth career
1995 TV Oeffingen
1995 - 2004 VfB Stuttgart

Senior career
years Team
2004 - 2006 VfB Stuttgart II 21 (1)
2006 - 2010 VfB Stuttgart 98 (14)
2010 - Real Madrid 43 (1)

National team
2003 - 2004 Germany U17 10 (2)
2007 - 2009 Germany U21 15 (5)
2009 - Germany 25 (1)

Honours

Club
VfB Stuttgart
     Bundesliga: 2006-07

Real Madrid
     Copa del Rey: 2010-11

Germany
     FIFA World Cup: 3rd place 2010
     UEFA U-21 Championship: 2009

Mario Gómez

Profile Football Stars | Mario Gómez | While, in the 2007-08 season, the rest of his team struggled to keep performing at Their 2006-07 season standards, Gómez remained at an astonishingly high level, scoring 19 goals in 25 appearances, second in the Bundesliga's top scorer list, just behind Bayern Munich's Luca Toni scored 24 times who. In the cup Gómez was even the top scorer with six goals. In the 2008-09 season Gomez hit four goals to inspire VfB Stuttgart to a 4-1 victory over Bundesliga leaders VfL Wolfsburg.  When Stuttgart Became champions in 2006-07, Gómez Contributed 14 goals and was elected German footballer of the year. Mario Gómez García, is a German footballer plays as a striker who for FC Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga. Gómez joined Bayern after six years in Stuttgart.

On 26 May 2009, Gómez was eventually transferred to Bayern Munich on a Bundesliga record transfer fee, signing a four-year contract. Gómez was not scoring like his usual self in his first season for Bayern with just 10 goals but in the cup Prolific he was more with 3 goals in just four games, unfortunately Gómez was short of assists as well as goals. Gómez started the 2011-12 season in similar style towards the previous season and he opened his league account on 20 August 2011 in Bayern's thrashing of Hamburger SV.

Seven days later Gómez turned up the style scoring a hat-trick away to 1. FC Kaiserslautern. On 10 September, Gomez then netted four goals in Bayern Munich's 7-0 Rout of Freiburg. Gómez also scored a brace against Hertha BSC when Bayern won 4-0. Gómez then got another brace on the 29th October when Bayern then Defeated 1. FC Nuremberg 4-0. In Bayern's next game away to FC Augsburg Gómez scored one of Bayern's goals in their 2-1 victory. Bayern went on to win 3-2. So far in the Champions League Gómez has six goals in five games. In the DFB-Pokal Gómez has scored just one goal. On 16 December 2011, Gómez scored his 50th goal for the calendar year of 2011 against 1.

Gómez has both German and Spanish Nationality, but played for all German youth national teams from age 17. He made his debut for the German national team against Switzerland on 7 February 2007. Germany won the match 3-1, with Gómez scoring Germany's second goal. Gómez gained his second cap for Germany, coming on as a substitute for Kevin Kuranyi in a Euro 2008 qualifier against San Marino, scoring two goals That Contributed to a final 6-0 victory. Although being the second choice behind Miroslav Klose as center-forward during Germany's qualification for Euro 2012, Gómez played regularly and Contributed goals against every Opponent of that campaign: Kazakhstan, Austria, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Belgium.

Personal information
Full name Mario Gómez García
Date of birth 10 July 1985 (age 26)
Place of birth Riedlingen, West Germany
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 1/2 in)
Playing position Striker

Club information
Current club Bayern Munich
Number 33

Youth career
SV Unlingen
FV Bad Saulgau
1999 - 2001 SSV Ulm 1846
2001 - 2003 VfB Stuttgart

Senior career
years Team
2003 - 2005 VfB Stuttgart II 43 (21)
2003 - 2009 VfB Stuttgart 121 (63)
2009 - Bayern Munich 85 (59)

National team
2005 - 2006 Germany U21 9 (1)
2005 Germany B 2 (1)
2007 - Germany 51 (21)

Honours

Club
VfB Stuttgart
     Bundesliga: 2006-07

Bayern Munich
     Bundesliga: 2009-10
     DFB-Pokal: 2009-10
     DFL-Supercup: 2010
     UEFA Champions League Runner-up: 2009-10

Germany
     FIFA World Cup 2010: Third place - Bronze medal
     UEFA European Football Championship Runner-up: 2008

Individual
     Bundesliga Top Goalscorer (28 goals): 2011
     German Footballer of the Year: 2007
     Most expensive Bundesliga transfer

Mesut Özil

Profile Football Stars | Mesut Özil | Özil has been a youth national team member since 2006, and a member of the German national team since 2009. Following his breakout performance at the World Cup, he was transferred from Werder Bremen to Real Madrid in August 2010. Mesut Özil WHO is a footballer plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and for the German national team

Fresh off his fallout at Schalke 04 he stepped into the shoes of Brazilian playmaker Diego to help lead the north German club to the 2009 DFB-Pokal with the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Berlin. Although Bremen failed to get going in their 2008-09 Bundesliga season, eventually finishing a disappointing 10th, Özil managed to make a significant impact in most games and CAME away with a Respectable three goals and 15 assists That highlighted his attacking credentials. In his second season, a Respectable Bremen finished 3rd, with Özil contributing 9 goals and 17 assists in 31 league appearances fixture.

Özil was Brought in to back up teammate Kaka, but due to his surgery, Özil obtained a starting role. He then made his La Liga debut for Real Madrid as a substitute for the Ángel María in the 62nd minute against Mallorca, Real Madrid drew 0-0 the which. Özil made his season debut in the Champions League on 15 September. Özil's performances for Real Madrid have been praised by media, fans and players.

Özil's first Champions League goal with Real in the 14th minute CAME against Milan on 19 October 2010. On 6 March 2011, after Providing two assists in a 3-1 victory over Racing Santander, Özil was greatly praised by the media worldwide thanks to his performance on the pitch, Thus Spake consolidating his outstanding season so far. He finished the 2010-11 season with Madrid with 25 assists, the highest for any player in any major European That competition season. Özil will wear the number 10 shirt for Real Madrid in 2011-12, signaling Jose Mourinho's intent to use the German international playmaker as his playing. On 14 August 2011, scored his first goal Özil against Barcelona in the first leg of the Supercopa de España in 2011. Özil is on the short-list of this year's FIFA Ballon d'Or award.

In September 2006, Özil was called up for the Germany U-17 team. Özil has been a member of the German U-21 team since 2007. On 29 June 2009, Özil was selected the man of the match in a 4-0 win over England during the U-21 European Championship finals. He made his debut for the senior side during a friendly match against Norway on 11 February 2009. He scored his first goal for the senior team in his third appearance, another friendly, against South Africa on 5 September in Leverkusen. Özil also confirmed his reputation as a decisive passer, as he Provided 7 assists, more than any international European during Euro 2012 qualification.

Personal information
Full name Mesut Özil
Date of birth 15 October 1988 (age 23)
Place of birth Gelsenkirchen, West Germany
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder

Club information
Current club Real Madrid
Number 10

Youth career
1995-1998 Westfalia 04 Gelsenkirchen
Teutonia 1998-1999 Schalke-Nord
Falke Gelsenkirchen 1999-2000
Rot-Weiss Essen 2000-2005
2005-2006 Schalke 04

Senior career
years Team
Schalke 04 2006-2008 30 (0)
Werder Bremen 2008-2010 71 (13)
2010 - Real Madrid 59 (7)

National team
2006-2007 Germany U19 11 (4)
2007-2009 Germany U21 16 (5)
2009 - Germany 31 (8)

Honours

Club

Werder Bremen
     DFB-Pokal: 2008-09 Winner
     UEFA Cup: Runner-up 2008-09

Real Madrid
     Copa del Rey: 2010-11

Germany
     FIFA World Cup: Third place - Bronze medal (2010)
     UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2009

Individual
     Bambi Award
     2010 FIFA World Cup Most assists (3) (shared with Thomas 

     Müller, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Kaká & Dirk Kuyt)