• Inspired VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach to an unexpected fourth-place finish in the German Bundesliga with 18 goals – despite agreeing a big-money move to home-town club Borussia Dortmund halfway through the season.

• Earned a place in Germany's UEFA EURO 2012 squad and marked his first senior competitive international start with a goal in the Nationalmannschaft's 4-2 victory over Greece in the quarter-finals; subsequently scored three times in Germany's opening three 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

• Made an impressive start for Dortmund, scoring twice in a 5-0 win against Mönchengladbach and four days later opening his UEFA Champions League account in a 1-1 draw at Manchester City FC.