Twenty-four year old Bayern Munich defender Phillip Lahm feels the two years he has spent at the team following the World Cup of 2006 has helped him grow in stature and is unwavering in his conviction that he will utilise this confidence to great effect as Germany look to kick off the tournament with a win on Sunday evening in Klagenfurt. He insists the World Cup is out of their thoughts, and the only thing on their minds now is the initial Euro 2008 encounter with Poland.  

Lahm scored Germany's first goal in the last World Cup – an absolute stunner against the minnows of Costa Rica – and with the constantly impressive displays he put in, he was regarded as one of the best players in the tournament. Drawing upon all the confidence and experience he has gained since then, he feels he is now in a position to produce an even more authoritative performance in Euro 2008. He does admit though that the tension is on the rise and players are starting to get a little bit nervous as the opening game draws nearer.

Lahm doesn’t feel that Germany’s labelling as favourites to win the tournament is an impediment of any kind as he points out that they are just one of many teams that are capable of winning it. Insofar as media speculation about the state of the German defence, he was also quick to put that down and said that the boys will show their true worth when it mattered.