Position: Midfielder
Born: 26.09.76
Club: Bayern Munich

Described by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as "the best attacking midfielder in the world", Michael Ballack is a man who looks born to play on the biggest stage of all.

Blessed with exceptional fitness, shrewd distribution and most importantly the ability to make late penalty box runs undetected, Ballack was almost single-handedly responsible for Germany's run to the last World Cup final.

Those performances came at the end of a season in which the midfielder had turned in a series of irresistible displays as he galvanised Bayer Leverkusen to belie their modest abilities and reach the Champions League final.

His suspension from the World Cup final through suspension was a terrible blow at the end of an extraordinary season from a personal perspective as Brazil triumphed 2-0 to leave Ballack empty-handed.

The former Kaiserslautern player made the transition into a world-class midfielder after a move to the BayArena, driving Klaus Toppmoller's unfashionable side to runners-up spots in the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal as well as the European club football showpiece.

He then joined Germany's biggest club - Bayern Munich - but their inconsistency at the end of Ottmar Hitzfeld's reign turned the spotlight on Ballack, with critics highlighting his failure to successfully shoulder the burden.

He rose to the challenge by inspiring Bayern's Bundesliga triumphs in 2003 and 2005 and all the signs point towards him seeking a fresh challenge after this tournament, having been linked with a move to Manchester United and Real Madrid among others.

If that is to be so what better way would there be for Ballack to leave Germany than with a World Cup medal?

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