Position: Midfielder
Born: 12.12.80
Club: Pas Tehran

An ever-present in qualifying, Javad Nekounam has established himself as the heartbeat in Iran's midfield, exciting going forward and tenacious in the tackle.

The 25-year-old got off to an inauspicious start to his career with Iran and at first struggled to adapt to the pace of international football.

However, such worries are now a thing of the past with his energetic displays and imaginitive passing endearing him to the nation's fans.

Blessed with a powerful shot, Nekounam has started to contribute more goals and is a danger when shooting from distance.

His workrate and determination is typically Iranian while his build - Nekounam is 6ft 3in tall - makes him an inconvenience in the opposition's penalty area.

The midfielder will hope to reproduce the inspirational form he showed in the 2004 Asia Cup, where his dashing displays helped Iran finish third.

Nekounam currently plies his trade at Pas Tehran but will know a string of good performances in Germany could lead to a move to one of Europe's major leagues.