Serdar Tasci seems to have title-winning in his blood. In his first season as a professional in 2007, the gifted defender lifted the German title with Stuttgart having already tasted championship glory with the Swabian club’s U-17 and U-19 teams.

Now the 23-year-old with Turkish heritage is desperate to replicate his club success on the international stage and make a name for himself with Germany at the 2010 World Cup.…

Claudemir Jeronimo Barreto, better known as Cacau, could be described as icing the cake for a Germany side whose attacking flair has developed considerably in recent years.

The classy Stuttgart goalgetter gives added impulse to Joachim Low’s front line and provides a real alternative to the more established attackers in the squad such as Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Mario Gomez.…

There are easier surnames for a German footballer to possess than Müller, especially if you happen to be a Bayern Munich striker. There can be no avoiding comparisons with the legendary Gerd Müller, but this eloquent and intelligent young man seems to have his feet firmly planted on the ground.

Thomas Müller has exploded onto the top flight scene in his first full season as a pro, and surely has the potential to be a major discovery for Germany at the 2010 World Cup.…

Holger Badstuber only celebrated his Bundesliga debut for Bayern Munich against Hoffenheim on the first day of the 2009/10 campaign, though it was not long before he had become one of coach Louis van Gaal’s most reliable performers.

The 21-year defender went on to play in 33 of his club’s 34 league matches and even started in the final of the Champions League against Inter Milan before capping off a meteoric first season with a call-up to Joachim Low’s Germany squad for the 2010 World Cup.…

Whether this slight figure of a man is striking the ball sweetly around the park, bursting into space between defenders, or gliding, ball at feet, past flat-footed opponents, fans tend to be left open-mouthed in amazement.

Marko Marin can only be described as one of the uncut diamonds of German football, an attacking player who mostly operates on the wing and is capable of turning matches in a trice.…

A German-born son of a Turkish immigrant, this young midfielder has brought much-needed finesse and improvisation to the German midfield since establishing himself in the side this season. His magical left-foot can open any door, leading to the kind of invention and guile that can turn a game on its head.

The Gelsenkirchen-born star scaled the heights of the professional game with Schalke 04, tasting his first experience on an international stage in the Champions League. At that time, Ozil was still conducting the midfield in Germany’s youth teams.…

Arne Friedrich has proven to be one of the most reliable members of the Germany national team in recent years, so it came as no surprise that the 31-year-old defender, who is just as comfortable at right back as in the centre, was included in Joachim Low’s squad for the 2010 World Cup.

As well as boasting plenty of international experience, the Hertha Berlin captain is also excellent in the air and strong in the tackle. Friedrich is blessed with a personable demeanour off the field too, and loyalty is more than just a word for him, given that he has now been with his club for over eight years.

The Bad Oeynhausen-born defender joined Hertha from Arminia Bielefeld in 2002 and only had two Bundesliga appearances under his belt when he made his international debut under Rudi Voller in a friendly against Bulgaria in August of that year. Since then, Friedrich has gone on to make over 60 further appearances for the national team, taking part at EURO 2004 and 2008 and the Confederations Cup 2005, as well as World Cup 2006.

German fans still fondly remember the 3-2 EURO 2008 quarter-final victory over Portugal in Basel, in which Friedrich, …

This 1.98m giant can certainly be considered the rock at the heart of the German defence, a real bastion of strength in national coach Joachim Low’s side. Thanks to his outstanding physique, excellent positional play and now extensive international experience, Per Mertesacker is an all-but-guaranteed starter for the three-time World Cup winners in South Africa.

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