Source: Daily_Mail
Sportsmail looks at England's finest German invaders
Good things come to those that wait is the saying, and that especially rang true at Upton Park on Monday night for West Ham fans.[LNB]Thomas Hitzlsperger arrived on a free transfer from Lazio last summer but constant injury problems meant it took him eight months to make his Hammers debut.[LNB]But he made up for lost time in his first run out by crashing home a super strike and being named man-of-the-match against Burnley in the FA Cup.[LNB]It was positive start for the former Aston Villa midfielder who could just be Avram Grant's joker card towards Premier League survival. [LNB]With this in mind, Sportsmail looks at English football's best German imports.[LNB]Jurgen Klinsmann[LNB] Soaring high: Klinsmann's goal celebration helped endear him to the White Hart Lane faithful[LNB]The final piece in Ossie Ardiles' 'famous five' attacking line-up. The striker joined Teddy Sheringham, Nicky Barmby, Darren Anderton and Ilie Dumitrescu after signing from Monaco in the summer of 1994.[LNB]Five forwards was never going to work tactically though and Ardiles was gone by October, but Klinsmann had already gone some way to building himself legendary status with Spurs fans.[LNB]Aside from his celebration 'dive' on his goal scoring debut, the 1990 World Cup winner formed a deadly partnership with Sheringham and scored 29 goals in his only full season at White Hart Lane, winning the Football Writers' Player of the Year.[LNB]He returned on loan in 1997 and his four-goal show against Wimbledon in the club's penultimate game of the season helped Spurs beat relegation.[LNB]Despite only playing for one-and-a-half seasons in north London, his impact was so great that he is regarded as one of Tottenham's greatest ever strikers.[LNB]Bert Trautmann[LNB] Brave: Trautmann played on with a broken neck in the 1956 FA Cup final[LNB]Popular: Trautmann was named Football Writers' Player of the Year [LNB] Having served for the Germans in World War II, Trautmann was not the most popular player in England when he signed for Manchester City in 1949, but his outstanding performances between the sticks soon earned him increasing respect from fans and players alike.[LNB]He wasn't just a 'gimmick' for City. Trautmann was ahead of his time in an era when goalkeepers were just shot stoppers who intercepted the occasional cross.[LNB]The tall and athletic stopper would often do his best to catch the ball and start a quick counter-attack with a huge 40 yard throw, but it was the 1956 FA Cup final where he would he go down in history.[LNB]Manchester City beat Birmingham 3-1, but with 15 minutes left Trautmann showed incredible bravery to make a save that was always going to end in a collision. [LNB]He was not to know at the time, but he had broken his neck diving at the feet of a striker, yet still played the full 90 minutes, albeit with the help of the 'magic sponge'.[LNB]His outstanding performances that season earned him the Football Writers' Player of the Year award - the first foreigner to do so.[LNB]Dietmar Hamann[LNB]Either side of positive spells at Newcastle and Manchester City, Hamann become one of Liverpool's most un-sung heroes from the past decade. [LNB] Un-sung hero: Dietmar Hamann played an important role in the Liverpool midfield[LNB] He enjoyed seven full seasons at Anfield where more often than not he was involved in the club's cup successes.[LNB]Acting as a holding player as Steven Gerrard did his thing going forward, Hamann never wrote the headlines but was a key component in providing balance to the Reds midfield.[LNB]That didn't mean he was limited in ability. As good as he was at playing a deep role in Liverpool's midfield, he also had a tremendous strike in his armoury. Infamously (for England fans) he scored the last goal at the old Wembley with a stinging 30-yard free-kick.[LNB]He even had his moment in the 2005 Champions League final, coming off the bench at 3-0 down to help secure a stunning 3-3 draw against AC Milan, scoring his side's first penalty in the shootout where Liverpool prevailed.[LNB]Christian Ziege[LNB]It was a case of what could have been for Ziege's time in the Premier League, who, when fit, had all the attributes needed to be a success.[LNB] Having been a member of Germany's Euro 96 winning squad, Ziege was no stranger when he arrived at Middlesbrough in 1999 from AC Milan and he didn't disappoint.[LNB]Comfortable with the ball at either foot, the full-back was often seen in full flight down the left flank or placing yet another free-kick into the top corner during his time at the Riverside Stadium.[LNB]Such were his performances, Liverpool made an illegal approach for him when they signed him in 2000 but injuries prevented him making an impact at Anfield.[LNB]He joined Spurs after just a single season in Merseyside and although his injury problems only increased, he was often one of Tottenham's most important and creative players.[LNB]He had his moments, including a trademark 30 yard free-kick against Arsenal in 2003 while he scored Tottenham's equaliser in the 2002 League Cup final.[LNB]Jens Lehmann[LNB]Eccentric: There was never a dull moment with Lehman around[LNB]They say you have to be a little bit insane to be a goalkeeper but Lehmann often abused his rights as he established himself as one of Arsenal's most colourful characters in recent years.[LNB]Amongst the mayhem of pushing players over, feigning injury and some high profile clangers, Lehman proved himself to be top class stopper.[LNB]He was part of Arsenal's 'invincibles' in the 2003/04 season and put in a stunning performance against Manchester United in the 2005 FA Cup final.[LNB]That day he was unbeatable, producing save-after-save to keep the Red Devils out, as well as denying Paul Scholes' in the shootout in what is to date the club's last major triumph.[LNB]In the Gunners' run to the Champions League final in 2006, Lehmann kept 10 clean sheets in a row in Europe and didn't concede a goal in the competition that season, a run highlighted by his late penalty save from Juan Roman Riquelme in the semi-final against Villarreal.[LNB] It's Thomas, Der Hammer! Hitzlsperger hails memorable debut after injury woeWest Ham 5 Burnley 1: Hitz a knockout! Debut goal from German ace before Cole runs amok Injured skipper Upson vows to get fit and return for Hammers survival battleAll the latest West Ham news, features and opinion [LNB] Explore more:People: Paul Scholes, Nicky Barmby, Teddy Sheringham, Juan Roman Riquelme, Jens Lehmann, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Christian Ziege, Dietmar Hamann, Steven Gerrard Places: Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Monaco, Birmingham, Monaco, Germany, United Kingdom, Europe
