A busy, scavenging forward with a deft yet powerful left foot, Ivica Olić is particularly dangerous on the counterattack. He missed most of the 2010/11 season with a knee injury but returned to competitive action for Croatia in the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying play-off against Turkey and scored after two minutes to shape the destiny of the tie.

• Top scorer and champion in the Croatian top flight with two clubs, NK Zagreb and GNK Dinamo Zagreb, in successive seasons (2001/02 and 2002/03) – a unique feat.

• Joined PFC CSKA Moskva midway through the 2003 season, scoring seven goals in ten games as the Army Men won the Russian title; added two more championship triumphs and two Russian Cup wins plus victory in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup.

• Scored in a 2-1 win against Italy at the 2002 FIFA World Cup on his competitive international debut; established himself over the remainder of the decade as a key team member, earning his 50th cap − and scoring − in a famous 3-2 triumph over England in a UEFA EURO 2008 qualifier at Wembley.

• Moved to Hamburger SV in January 2007; scored 29 goals in 78 Bundesliga games and nine in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup prior to joining FC Bayern München on a free transfer.

• Scored on his Bundesliga debut for Bayern – a 1-1 draw with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on 8 August 2009 − and started the last match of the campaign as the Bavarians lost the UEFA Champions League final to FC Internazionale Milano.

• Missed seven months of the 2010/11 season after undergoing knee surgery to repair damaged cartilage and meniscus; returned to the first-team fold in August 2011, scoring on his second game back against, of all clubs, Hamburg.

• Agreed a summer move to VfL Wolfsburg in April 2012, a day after Bayern reached the UEFA Champions League final; had his penalty saved by Petr Čech in the showpiece shoot-out against Chelsea FC. 

UEFA honours
UEFA Champions League: runner-up 2010, 2012
UEFA Cup: winner 2005