Mario Gomez Bio Send To Friend  

Gomez is one of the most potent strikers in the Bundesliga and was constantly linked with a move away from Stuttgart after his goalscoring exploits carried the side in recent years. He eventually joined Bayern Munich for around €30m in May 2009.

A woeful performance at Euro 2008 for Germany did not do justice to his talent and he has consistently been in and around the top of the goalscoring charts in German league.

Moving to Stuttgart in 2001 after a youth career with SSV Ulm 1846, he took a while to establish himself in the first-team but his combination of strength, power and finishing ability made sure that he wouldn't have to wait long.

His first taste of action came in 2004 against Chelsea in the Champions League as a substitute, with his Bundesliga debut following shortly afterwards.

He got nine goals in 25 games in the 2005-06 season, although only seven of those were starts, and began to make an impression on the first-team. The following season saw him net 15 goals in 24 starts and the youngster established himself as one of the top scorers in the Bundesliga.

Gomez extended his contract at VfB Stuttgart until 2012 and, despite suffering various injury complaints (including a broken hand and torn knee ligaments), he had his best season in 2007-08 and hit 19 goals in the league. He was also named German Footballer of the Year for 2007.

He continued his development in the German national team and made his debut in February 2007, before Joachim Low called him up to the squad for Euro 2008. A disappointing tournament saw him derided for missing some glorious chances, but he bounced back with another stunning season in the Bundesliga.

He scored 23 goals in 29 games in 2008-09 and repaired his reputation as one of Europe's best young strikers. Linked with a move to Manchester City and also Bayern Munich, Gomez made it clear he wanted to leave if the club failed to qualify for the Champions League.

He didn't last much longer than the end of the season, as he joined Bayern for around €30m in May - pairing up with his international striker partner Miroslav Klose.