One of German football's hottest young prospects, FC Schalke 04 midfielder Julian Draxler is a player of skill and poise who has represented his country on numerous occasions at youth level and was named by Nationalmannschaft coach Joachim Löw in his provisional squad for UEFA EURO 2012.

• Joined Schalke as a nine-year-old and progressed through the Gelsenkirchen club's youth development scheme before making his senior debut on 15 January 2011 in a league match against Hamburger SV.

• At 17 years 117 days he became the youngest Schalke player ever to appear in the Bundesliga – and the fourth youngest debutant in the competition's history.

• Scored his first Schalke goal in the 119th minute of a German Cup quarter-final against 1. FC Nürnberg to win the match 3-2 and went on to start the final in Berlin, which his team won 5-0 versus MSV Duisburg.

• Made six appearances in 2010/11 UEFA Champions League, his first start coming in the second leg of the semi-final against Manchester United FC at Old Trafford; scored twice in the following season's UEFA Europa League as Schalke reached the quarter-finals.

• Increased Bundesliga activity in 2011/12 earned him representation for Germany's Under-19 and U21 teams and a surprise call-up to the senior side's provisional UEFA EURO 2012 party.