Things to Know:
A prolific goalscorer, Klose was a large and powerful striker who was known in particular for his ability in the air as a centre-forward, due to his strength, timing, elevation and heading accuracy, as well as his finishing ability. In his prime, he was also a quick player who was known for his turn of pace and positional sense in the penalty area. In addition to his physical attributes, he possessed good technique, and was capable of setting-up goals for teammates in addition to scoring them himself, due to his tactical intelligence and ability to interpret the game.[88] He was also known for his dedication and correct behaviour on the pitch. Earlier in his career, Klose was known for his acrobatic goalscoring celebrations, which included mid-air somersaults.
Did you Know?
During the Euro 2012 qualifiers, Klose scored at least one goal in every single game he played, striking against all of Germany’s opponents: Belgium, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Austria. Gaining only six caps during the qualification campaign, he scored nine goals and provided two assists, making him Europe’s second-most-successful striker for this period behind Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who scored 12 times in 8 matches. At the end of the qualifying campaign, Klose had achieved 21 assists and 63 goals while playing for Germany, trailing Gerd Müller’s German goalscoring record by five (albeit playing almost twice as many internationals compared to Müller).
