Bastian Schweinsteiger is the vice-captain of the Bayern Munich football team. He also plays for the German national team and has made several championship outings with both teams. He is feared for his versatility on the field and a seemingly endless supply of energy. He is also known for a touch of arrogance that has gotten him in trouble before, as well as his trademark white boots.
Youth
Bastian was born in 1984 in Kolbermoor, West Germany. By 1998, he had gained acceptance into the Bayern Munich youth soccer team. He was divided between playing football and skiing in his teens but he earned a spot on Bayern Munich’s reserve squad in 2002 and has never looked back. His earliest years were marked by rebelliousness and confrontation. For this he received a lot of attention off the field that he would rather not have suffered. However, while he has occasionally gotten out of line in the recent past, Bastian has settled down to become a dependable star on the playing field.
Profile
Schweinsteiger is about six feet tall and weighs just under 80 kilograms. Typically, he plays as a midfielder. He is a right-footer who is frequently posted on the wings. However, Bastian has also displayed a flair for playing center and this versatility has made him a terror for opposing teams. He has shown a capability for shooting from long range that leaves opponents guessing as he brings the ball downfield.
Bastian is also a very capable dribbler. His passing skills are notable and he seems to have an eye for good positions which enable him to be such an effective threat. His fearlessness and boundless energy combine with his many skills to make him an all-around menace for any opposing team.
Career
After earning his spot on the Bayern Munich team, Bastian quickly gained notoriety for his skills and his play-making ability. He was chosen for the Euro 2004 team, which played for the championship in Portugal that year. Fans, critics and reviewers all spoke glowingly of his performance and his combative appearances in several matches, even though Germany was eliminated during the group stage.
In 2006, Schweinsteiger played for the German national team again, this time in his home country of Germany. Here he gained true prominence in the minds of soccer fans and in the sports press after two long-range goals made during a match against Portugal. A that time, Bastian was just 22 years old and had now played 41 matches as a German national team player. This was a record at the time and an outstanding achievement for any player.
Schweinsteiger has continually been a part of the German national team since then and has reappeared in the Euro championships and at the World Cup. In 2010, he traveled with the national team to South Africa. He replaced Michael Ballack, an important midfielder who suffered an injury, and was commended for his performance. Once again, Bastian was an indispensable presence on the playing field for the German team.
