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Lukas Josef Podolski is a German footballer who plays as a forward for Arsenal and for the Germany national team. He is a left-footed attacker known for his strong shot, technique and probing attacks from the left side. Podolski began playing football at the age of six in the youth team of FC Bergheim, where he played until he joined 1. FC Köln in 1995. In 2003, at the age of 18, Podolski was still part of the club's youth side. Podolski impressed, scoring 10 goals in his first 19 senior appearances. This was the best tally by an 18-year-old in the history of the Bundesliga. Podolski managed to score 12 goals in the 2005–06 season, but eventually, Köln were relegated again. On 1 June 2006, Podolski announced that a transfer agreement had been reached with Bayern Munich, allowing him to join the Bavarian side for the 2006–07 season. He made his Bundesliga debut for Bayern on 11 August 2006 with a 2–0 victory against Borussia Dortmund, coming on as a substitute in the 88th minute. On 14 October 2006, with his first Bundesliga goal for Bayern, Podolski helped to secure the club's 4–2 win over Hertha Berlin. On 1 July, Podolski returned to Köln on a four-year contract, and the transfer is speculated to be around €10 million. In the 2010–11 season, Podolski scored his 50th Bundesliga goal in the match against Hannover 96 in March 2011. During the entire season, Podolski scored 13 goals and 7 assists. The 2011–12 season was the final season in his second spell for Köln. Despite the team's relegation to the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga, Podolski impressively scored 18 goals in 29 league Fußball-Bundesliga appearances. On 30 April 2012, it was officially announced that Podolski had signed for Arsenal on a long-term deal. Podolski then started in his first official match for Arsenal against Sunderland on the opening day of the Premier League on 18 August 2012. On 18 September 2012, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal for the Gunners in a 2–1 away win against Montpellier. Podolski played for Germany at Euro 2004, where he was the squad's youngest player.
