Clubs: FC Homburg, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, SV Werder Bremen, FC Bayern München, S.S. Lazio

UEFA honours
UEFA European Championship: runner-up 2008
UEFA Champions League: runner-up 2010

• Born in Opole, Poland, Klose made his first major impact at Bundesliga level with Kaiserslautern before joining then German champions Bremen in 2004.

• Left Bremen for Bayern in 2007 and enjoyed a successful debut season, winning the domestic double − the first major honours of his career. Largely used from the bench, he registered six goals in all competitions as Bayern won the Bundesliga/German Cup double again in 2009/10.

• Germany's top scorer at the 2002 FIFA World Cup with five goals − all headers in the group phase, including a hat-trick against Saudi Arabia on his tournament debut.

• Went into the 2006 World Cup in Germany as the Bundesliga's leading marksman, having struck 25 goals for Bremen, and scored another five goals to become the tournament's Golden Boot winner.

• Added two more at UEFA EURO 2008 as Germany reached the final and also scored a vital winner away to Russia that sealed the Nationalmannschaft's place at the 2010 World Cup finals, where he once again excelled.

• Scored four goals, including two on his 100th appearance in a 4-0 win against Argentina, at the 2010 World Cup; ended the tournament second on the all-time scorers' list, level with compatriot Gerd Müller and one behind Ronaldo (15).

• Just as prolific in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying with nine goals in six appearances as the Nationalmannschaft became the first country to qualify for the finals.

• Opted to experience club football outside of Germany with a move in June 2011 to Lazio, for whom he scored on his European and Serie A debuts.