Wojtanowicz's way

By Thomas Zeh

It has been a promising year for Austria's youth sides, with the Under-17 and Under-19 teams both finishing third in their respective championships last season.

Austrian success story
This success continued in the autumn, as the next crop of players at these levels both moved through their UEFA European Championship first round groups. And for the Austrian U19s no one shone brighter than striker Michael Wojtanowicz, as the SV Pasching youngster hit five goals in three games to win Group 9.

Tall and imposing
A tall and imposing striker, Wojtanowicz told uefa.com that he revels in the experience of international football. "I scored in all our three games and five overall and this certainly stands out as the highlight of my career [so far]," said the 18-year-old, who has already been compared to the likes of Jan Koller of the Czech Republic and Carsten Jancker of Germany.

His own man
When asked to comment on such comparisons Wojtanowicz is admits he is an admirer. "I am a tall and strong forward, who likes physical contact and is strong in the air," he said. "Jancker and Koller are similar types and I obviously look carefully at how they play, but I wouldn't call them my idols. I don't really have an idol, I try to go my own way."

Learning the ropes
Wojtanowicz joined Pasching last summer and is hopeful that his international accomplishments will help him make a splash in the Austrian Bundesliga. Currently, though, he is content to learn the ropes for the Pasching amateurs in one of the regional leagues, the 1. Landesliga.

Coach impressed
"Things are going fine for me," he said. "We ended the first part of the season top and hope to win promotion and I scored seven goals in as many games." Pasching coach Heinz Hochhauser was sufficiently impressed to invite the youngster to train with the first team. Soon after he threw Wojtanowicz on as a late substitute in a 3-0 home win against VfB Admira Wacker Mödling to give him a taste of top-flight football.

Looking forward
His appetite whetted, Wojtanowicz is looking forward to getting more first-team action under his belt. "I am keen to get another chance to prove myself in the Bundesliga before the next round of European qualifiers," he said.

Qualifying hope
Austria have been drawn in Group 6 in their next round, alongside Poland, Finland and Scotland - with only the top side in the section advancing to the finals in Switzerland. Wojtanowicz is firm in his belief that qualification is within Austria's sights. "This summer the U17 and the U19 team both came third in their European Championships," he said. "This success gives us extra motivation. I'm really happy with the draw. We know the Scottish team already as they held us to a 1-1 draw recently. I don’t know much about the Finns. However, the game against Poland will be something special for me, because my parents are of Polish origin."

'Special moment'
Although of Polish ancestry, Wojtanowicz has no regrets about representing Austria. "I remember my debut with the U15s," he reaclled. "It was a special moment when the national anthems were played before the game." Despite his success so far, Wojtanowicz is aware he needs to continue to work to carve out a senior career and fulfill his ultimate dream of representing his country on home soil at UEFA EURO 2008. "It would be a dream come true for me, just it would be for any young player in Austria," he said. "But there's still a long way to go."