I’LL TOT UP A DOUBLE FOR MY LITTLE MAYA

Lukas is after Euros gift for newborn baby girl

And the Galatasaray veteran wants to repay national coach Joachim Low for giving him extra time off following his daughter’s arrival last Monday.

Podolski said: “Jogi Low offered it and I gladly accepted the offer.

“I want to thank him for that. There are more important things in life than football. It was great for me to spend some time at home.

“I now have one day fewer training but that’s not really important.

“Jogi knows he can rely on me.

“It won’t affect my focus at the tournament and I’m familiar with the situation because my first child Louis was born in 2008 just ahead of the Euros in Austria and Switzerland.

“Saying farewell at home is obviously tough but once you’ve joined the team you almost forget about it straight away. Football is my job and being away is part of that sometimes.

“I always enjoy my time with the national team. Obviously I think a lot about my family but my mindset for the tournament isn’t affected.”

Podolski reckons his team can make it back-to-back victories in major tournaments two years after winning the World Cup in Brazil.

The Germans haven’t triumphed in the European Championships since 1996 and Podolski – who has been capped 128 times – is desperate to add it to his impressive collection.

He added: “In the end it’s all about wh o w i n s the tournament. “We are world champions, we have the quality in our team and we want to win. If we reach the “I remember that quite well actually. There are moments in your career, milestones, that you simply don’t forget.

“My first trip to the national team was very exciting. At the start I was nervous as I had a lot of respect from the experienced players in our team.

“But on the pitch I didn’t show any nerves. I always went full throttle and didn’t go hiding.

“In terms of handling the attention that came with playing for the national side as a teenager, it wasn’t that difficult.

“Of course everything happened quite quickly but I wasn’t bothered.

“It was a special time back then and I enjoyed it too. I’m 31 years old now and the new boys are coming up and making the front pages. That’s how things go in football.”

New Ukraine assistant coach Andriy Shevchenko reckons his side will get out of a group that includes this evening’s opponents Germany, Nor thern Ireland and Poland.

The ex AC