Euro 2008 Player Profile: Mario Gomez

Name: Mario Gomez
Team: Germany
Group: B; Croatia, Poland, Austria.
Caps (Goals): 9 (6) - as of May 30, 2008
DOB: July 10, 1985 (22 years old)
Position: Striker
Club Team: Stuttgart

Mario Gomez has steamrolled onto the international scene over the past two seasons. Despite missing serious time in 2007 with torn ligaments and a broken hand (on the same freakin play - well, once he hurt his knee he punched the medic box…oops), he was voted the German Player of the Year for 2007 - which encompasses both the Bundesliga and German players abroad.

List of the recent winners:

2007 Mario Gomez VfB Stuttgart
2006 Miroslav Klose SV Werder Bremen
2005 Michael Ballack FC Bayern München
2004 Ailton Gonçalves da Silva SV Werder Bremen
2003 Michael Ballack FC Bayern München
2002 Michael Ballack Bayer Leverkusen
2001 Oliver Kahn FC Bayern München
2000 Oliver Kahn FC Bayern München
1999 Lothar Matthäus FC Bayern München
1998 Oliver Bierhoff Udinese Calcio

Decent company, yeah? Well, after leading Stuttgart to the Bundesliga that season with 14 goals in the league, he topped off the performance this season with another 19 goals in 25 games, with another 9 from cup and European competition. Not half bad for a kid who will only be 23 in two weeks after the end of the tournament.

What’s more than his achievements for Stuttgart, though, is what he’s done in his brief introduction to the German national team. Just nine caps and he’s already got a half-dozen goals. An excellent start for any national team, much less one with the prestige of Germany. (Of course, he’s still got a long way to go before he hits Gerd Müller territory - 68 goals in 62 games.)

Mario is big and physical, but with incredible athleticism for a man his size, and he isn’t slow by any means. And though Germany obviously has a few quality options at the top of the formation, Mario Gomez is simply one of the best young players on the planet right now. His future is up for debate, with clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Milan and Roma in for him, and a great tournament might see the big offers turn into huge offers. Something he’s well worth.

If you’re looking for favorites for the best young player at the tournament, start here.

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