Photograph: Maja Hitij/Bongarts/Getty ImagesBorn in Poland, Podolski moved to Germany with his parents as a young child. Bundesliga, finishing as champions with the forward ending the season as the top scorer with 24 goals in 30 games. Now an established member of Jürgen Klinsmann’s squad, Podolski had agreed to join some of his national team-mates at Bayern Munich after the upcoming World Cup in Germany. His six goals in qualification and two in the tournament kept up his international scoring ratio. It’s all a bit Roy of the Rovers, but who could begrudge a happy ending to a man who plays the game with a smile?

Source: The Guardian March 24, 2017 15:34 UTC