German midfielder who has found success as a member of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, of whom he became the captain in 2008. He debuted for the German national team in 2007 and finished as the runner-up at the UEFA Euro 2008. He began playing for TuS Recke as a child in 1986 and did so until 1999, when he joined the youth academy of Werder Bremen.
