Affectoniately known as 'Kuba', Jakub Błaszczykowski missed out on UEFA EURO 2008 participation at the eleventh hour but, barring accident or further inopportune injury, will have the privilege and honour of captaining Poland on home soil at UEFA EURO 2012. A high-energy right-sided midfielder, he has won the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund in the last two seasons.

• The nephew of Polish international midfielder Jerzy Brzęczek, Błaszczykowski joined Wisła Kraków from home-town team KS Częstochowa in January 2005 and made an immediate impact by helping the club to the Polish title, making 11 appearances and scoring one goal.

• Had earned just one cap for Poland – against Saudi Arabia on 28 March 2006 – before being selected for the opening UEFA EURO 2008 qualifier at home to Finland; went on to make 11 qualifying appearances but missed the finals through injury.

• Eight UEFA Cup outings for Wisła in 2006/07 preceded the signing of a four-year contract with Dortmund, whom he joined in July 2007.

• Was a regular for Dortmund in the first half of his debut season but missed most of the spring due to muscular problems; returned for the German Cup final against FC Bayern München but was sent off in extra time as Dortmund lost 2-1.

• Nicknamed 'Kuba' by his club's fans (the back of his shirt bears that name), he struggled for fitness at times during Dortmund's triumphant 2010/11 season but responded with a career-best tally of six league goals the following campaign.

• A scorer of four international goals prior to August 2011, he doubled his tally in the space of two months by registering in friendlies against Georgia (1-0), Germany (2-2), Korea Republic (2-2) and Belarus (2-0).