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Draxler ready to dazzle for Germany

After a season of mixed form and an injury that threatened his EURO dream, Germany's Julian Draxler told UEFA.com he feels "in a good place" as he looks to rebuild his reputation.

Julian Draxler attends a Germany press conference
Julian Draxler attends a Germany press conference ©Getty Images

Once hailed as a prodigy, Julian Draxler heads into UEFA EURO 2016 on a mission to rebuild his reputation. The Germany winger struggled for form this season after his high-profile move from boyhood club Schalke to Wolfsburg – and his hopes of making the squad at all looked bleak when he suffered a thigh injury in mid-April.

"When I received the diagnosis I was down," the 22-year-old recalled. "It was said I'd be sidelined for six to eight weeks, but the very next day I was fully focused on getting fit again. I worked day and night."

Those efforts have paid off. The pre-tournament friendlies suggest coach Joachim Löw intends to play Draxler on the left, and the youngster will be anxious to show what he can do when the world champions tackle Ukraine in Lille on Sunday – as he explained to UEFA.com.

Quick guide: Germany

This is your second major tournament. With so many young players in the Germany squad, do you feel senior enough to pass on advice?

No, not really. I think everyone in the team has their own qualities which they bring. I don't necessarily give lots of advice. I try to concentrate on my own performance because I can only be of use to my team when I'm in my best form. I've worked on that over the last two weeks. I'm in a good place and I hope I can show it in the tournament.

What plans does Joachim Löw have for yourself with Marco Reus injured?

We will see, because I think I performed well in our warm-up games. Everything else will be decided by the manager.

Germany have not won this tournament since 1996, so how determined are the squad to follow up the FIFA World Cup with the European crown?

The team are definitely hungry. We know how good it feels to win an international title and of course we want to repeat that. The preparations are over and we can finally get going. Now we all want to play for the points and win the important games.

Watch Germany win the EURO '96 final

How do you see Ukraine's strengths and weaknesses?

I think Ukraine are going to be very tough. They'll be fighting hard to the end, pushing themselves to the limit, but we're prepared for whatever comes. It's up to us to show what we're capable of on the pitch.

How many games will you watch when you have free time?

I'll be watching every game I can. The European Championship is something unique. It's great fun to watch every match, and there will be some close games. I hope, of course, that there will be a lot of goals, but there could also be a lot of matches that end 1-0 and so on.