Position: Defender
Born: 29.09.84
Club: Hannover 96

Per Mertesacker already plays a leading role in the German defence despite being seen as a bright young prospect for the future.

The 21-year-old has a good physical presence on the pitch and with height on his side, Mertesacker is able to win high balls and outjump his opponents.

The young talent plays for his hometown club Hannover 96 and after supporting them all his life, he's now a valuable member of the side.

Highly thought of by Jurgen Klinsmann, Mertesacker can play quite well with the ball at his feet. Instead of just clearing the ball up the pitch, he can direct his passes to one of his team-mates, enabling the side to keep possession.

But there are weaknesses with every player and although Mertesacker is renowned for his pace, he can switch off at times during a game.

On his day he can be extremely hard to play against, however he is still young and lacking in experience.