• Earned a place in the official Team of the Tournament for the fourth successive major international competition as he captained Germany to the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2012; scored the opening goal in the 4-2 quarter-final victory over Greece.

• Played 49 matches in all competitions for FC Bayern München in 2011/12, his first full campaign as club captain, skippering the side to runners-up spots in the Bundesliga, German Cup and UEFA Champions League.

• Won his first trophy as Bayern skipper in the 2012 German Super Cup (2-1 against Borussia Dortmund) before leading the Munich giants to a record-breaking run of eight successive victories at the start of the 2012/13 Bundesliga campaign.