Miroslav Klose, left, and Lukas Podolski, right, have been Germany stalwarts despite often indifferent club form. It's impossible not to admire Lukas Podolski's determination. In the aftermath of Germany's World Cup victory last summer, it seemed inevitable the forward would announce his retirement from international football, bowing out on a high. The likes of Per Mertesacker, Miroslav Klose and Philipp Lahm all said goodbye but Podolski, by then an almost perennial substitute, clung on. His club form over the past 18 months has been highly disappointing.