Lukas Podolski, the fans’ hero, bidding farewell to Germany
DORTMUND: A friendly against old rivals England will give forward Lukas Podolski a perfect farewell from the German football team. After three World Cups and four European Championship participations, the 31-year-old will appear in a German shirt for the 130th and last time here on Wednesday evening.
Poland-born Podolski might not have been one of Germany's top stars but was basically ever-present since first being called up for international duty in June 2004. In his 13-year career, Podolski has won the third most caps for his country and his 48 goals put him third in the goal-scoring list behind Miroslav Klose (71) and Gerd Mueller (68), reports Xinhua news agency.
For the country's fans, he was not only a team member but a beloved institution whose loveable character found its way into people's hearts. Fans nicknamed him "Poldi" as if he was a good mate.
Born in Poland, Podolski settled near Cologne with his parents at the age of two. After starting his professional career at the city's main club FC Cologne, Podolski was a perfect example of the region's mentality -- amusing, crazy, passionate, open-minded, and always good for a prank and a party. In the last few years, he was accused of only being the team mascot as he did not perform well at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the 2016 European Championship in France where he only played 73 minutes. Coach Loew justified his decision to pick Podolski with his special ability to create a positive team spirit and keep it alive over a long tournament.
In summer, Podolski will join Japanese J-league club Vissel Kobe for two years and earn up to $21.5 million. In his club career, he played for Cologne, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Inter Milan and Galatasaray Istanbul. He won the 2014 World Cup, came third in 2006 and 2010. He won the German league and cup with Bayern Munich and the FA Cup with Arsenal.