Lucas Podolski joined his local team, Cologne, when he was 10-years-old. He broke in to the first team when he was 18-years-old and after some good performances and becoming part of the German national team, Bayern Munich became interested.

After failing to make an impression with the German giants, Podolski returned to his boyhood team. He spent a further three years there.

“I still have two years left to run on my deal and my ambition is to see it out,” he said. “I have strong opinions on Wolfgang Overath. He lives and breathes the club, day and night. He is doing everything he can for this club and he is my idol.”

However, 10 months later he announced he had agreed to move to Arsenal. The press reported that the North London club had doubled his salary to €7 million per year.