Belgium: Marc Wilmots
Marc Wilmots is Belgium’s unlikely hero, a player unlikely to feature in the lists of those predicting potential World Cup stars but one who perhaps ought not be ignored.
Schalke’s goalscoring midfielder, set to make a fourth appearance on football’s finest stage in the Far East, has an impressive record at international level.
With 61 caps and 24 goals to his name, the injury-prone Wilmots remains the inspiration behind a side which has qualified for every World Cup finals competition since 1982.
He has promised to retire from the international game after the finals, a move which will leave a void in the Belgian team.
Wilmots top scored for the ‘Red Devils’ in qualifying with eight goals, a total bettered in Europe only by Ukraine’s Andrei Shevchenko and Denmark’s Ebbe Sand.
He also scored the match-winning penalty which saw off the Czech Republic in the play-offs.
Having missed the first leg in Brussels, Wilmots came off the bench to net from the spot with just four minutes remaining to clinch a 2-0 aggregate victory.
Understandably, the man known affectionately in Germany as ‘The Fighting Pig’ was delighted with his efforts.
‘‘For me personally, this is a wonderful achievement,’’ he said.
‘‘This will mean a fourth World Cup tournament for me that’s if I do not get injured again, of course.
‘‘I am happy as a child. I have worked very hard to be able to play there, and now I have accomplished that.’’
The key man in the Belgium midfield, Wilmots has also attracted praise from rival managers including former Scotland boss Craig Brown.
‘‘Wilmots is the man who makes Belgium tick and provides them with drive and energy, as well as ability from the middle of the park,’’ said Brown.
‘‘Wilmots is not only a vital player for Belgium, he is the vital player for Belgium. He is their talisman.’’
Wilmots began his career at RSC Jodoigne in 1978 before a move to St Truiden five years later.
He joined KV Mechelen in 1988, where he won the league title, before moving to Standard Liege in 1991.
He decided to try his luck abroad in 1996 with a switch to German giants Schalke.
Following four years in Gelsenkirchen, where he became a firm favourite of the supporters, he moved to Bordeaux to replace Parma-bound Johan Micoud.
But after failing to settle in south-west France, Schalke moved to bring Wilmots back to the Bundesliga.
His greatest achievement at club level came in the 1996-97 season when he scored five times in helping Schalke to the UEFA Cup final and a meeting with Inter Milan.
After two tense games, the tie came down to a penalty shoot-out with Wilmots showing impeccable nerve to slot home the match-winning kick inside a hostile San Siro.
Belgium’s first game this summer comes against co-hosts Japan in Urawa on June 4.
