Klose revives memories of great German goalscorers

The last German player to score a hat-trick at the World Cup finals was Karl-Heinz Rummenigge against Chile 20 years ago. Yet it is not that blond German forward with whom Miroslav Klose is most often compared. More than a few regard the Polish-born country boy's capacity for hard work and instinctive eye for goal as reminiscent of a young Rudi Völler.

In the aftermath of the all-headed hat-trick against Saudi Arabia, Klose justified his reputation as an introvert, a player happier on the field than in front of a microphone. Though agents will come calling to lure him away from Kaiserslautern, Klose seems genuinely unaffected by the recent shift in attitudes towards both him and his much maligned team-mates. "Needless to say, I feel brilliant that I scored three goals," he said before pausing to add. "And set up another."

That, say the German press, is typical of Klose's generosity as a player. "I'm glad," he said more telllingly, "that I have shown I can stand the pressure and score goals in decisive games. But it will be a different type of game against Ireland."

Yet it is the Republic who have the problem today. The Saudi Arabians had no answer to the persistent, sweeping, crosses fed into Klose and Carsten Jancker by Bernd Schneider and Christian Ziege last Saturday. The Irish can expect more of the same in their second group game in the Kashima stadium here, but they will find a very different Germany from the side who began the tournament hounded by their fans and their press, saddled with almost embarrassingly limited ambitions.

With 11 goals in 13 internationals, Klose, who turns 24 on Sunday, has revived a precious heritage that stretches back to Gerd Müller. Not since Jürgen Klinsmann has Germany enjoyed the luxury of an international-class striker.

Klose's upbringing and attitude gives Völler cause for optimism. He was born in the small town of Oppeln in Poland and his father Josef was a professional footballer, who played towards the end of his career for Auxerre in France, while his mother Barbara won 82 caps for Poland at handball. The family moved to Germany in 1987 when Miroslav was eight.

Klose's inability to speak German at the time marked him out in the school playground. Like so many immigrants, football proved his main means of expression and acceptance. Ten years after arriving in his new homeland, Klose was playing in the German regional leagues. Two years later, he was signed by Kaiserslautern, marking his debut in the Bundesliga just two days after signing his first contract by scoring the winner. Having turned down the chance to play for his native Poland, the still awkward young striker celebrated his first appearance as a German international with a goal against Albania, following up with another goal against Greece four days later. But, even by Klose's high standards, a hat-trick on his debut in the World Cup finals represented a peak on his rapidly rising graph.

Klose laughs at the prospect of getting carried away by his sudden elevation to the role of next saviour of German footballing honour. "My father calls me nearly every day," he says. "If I do something wrong, he soon tells me what it is. He's always telling me to conserve my energies during a game and to stop chasing balls that are lost. He is teaching me and I am learning."