Bastian Schweinsteiger - the man who could become the first German to play for Manchester United's senior team - drove his national side to glory at last summer's World Cup in Brazil.
Dubbed "the brain" of Germany's side by head coach Joachim Löw, Schweinsteiger produced a commanding display in the showpiece final against Argentina. Winning that tournament consolidated the midfielder's place among the planet's most decorated players, with numerous team and individual honours already gleaned in a glittering career.
At domestic level, and after opting against a professional career in skiing, Schweinsteiger rose through the ranks at Bayern Munich, earning a full debut at the age of 18 after just two training sessions with Ottmar Hitzfeld's first-team squad.
Although his early appearances for Bayern would come at left-back, it wasn't long before Schweinsteiger made his mark in midfield, where he has remained a powerful figure ever since. The 2002/03 season ended with a league and cup double, as 'Basti' made 14 appearances in the Bundesliga.
A second double-winning season followed in 2005/06 and, having established himself as a regular in the Bayern side, Schweinsteiger went on to make 57 league appearances over the next two seasons.
By then, he was beginning to have a big impact at international level. After captaining Germany for the first time, the midfielder led his country to the final at Euro 2008, where Spain were the ultimate victors.
Schweinsteiger first linked up with Louis van Gaal in July 2009, when the Dutchman was appointed as Bayern Munich's head coach following the earlier departure of Jurgen Klinsmann. In the first of his two seasons in Germany, van Gaal deployed 'Basti' as a defensive midfielder as the Bavarian club won the double again and just missed out on the treble in May 2010. Although they reached the Champions League final by beating the likes of United - on away goals in the quarter-finals - en route, Bayern lost 2-0 to Jose Mourinho's Internazionale.
Schweinsteiger suffered the same fate after his goal took Bayern to the 2012 Champions League final, only for Roberto Di Matteo's Chelsea to triumph on penalties. However, it wouldn't be long before 'Basti' had his hands on Europe's biggest club trophy as Bayern beat domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 final at Wembley. That success came at the end of a season filled with personal accolades - including the German Player of the Year award.
In what could well be his final piece of silverware in 17 years at Bayern, Schweinsteiger lifted the Bundesliga trophy at the end of last season, to cap a dominant campaign on the domestic front.
Schweinsteiger has earned a reputation as a tough-tackling midfield general with a fierce strike and an abundance of energy. If his move from Bayern Munich is finalised - medical and personal terms still pending at the time of writing - then he is sure to be a favourite among United fans.
List of honours:
World Cup (Germany) - 2014
Club World Cup - 2013
Champions League - 2013
Bundesliga - 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015
DFB Cup - 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014
DFB League Cup - 2004, 2007
DFL Supercup - 2010, 2012
German Player of the Year - 2013
Reviewed by Alexis Abana
on
Monday, July 13, 2015
Rating:
No comments: