Arjen Robben
Four years on from a World Cup final defeat to Spain, Netherlands winger Arjen Robben travels to Brazil at the height of his powers, having dealt with some of the demons that plagued him earlier in his career.
Previously synonymous with injuries that ranged from hamstring strains to a testicular cancer scare, selfishness and wasteful finishing, the 30-year-old has developed from being a raw, precocious talent into one of the key players in a dominant Bayern Munich side.
Robben, who has played 73 times for his country and scored 22 goals, has however had a chequered World Cup experience.
He netted on his World Cup finals debut in Germany in 2006 against Serbia and Montenegro, but the Dutch crashed out to Portugal in the last 16, losing 1-0.
And in what seems like a microcosm of his career, he arrived at the 2010 finals in South Africa injured.
His powerful, direct running and dribbling were among the few positive points in a dour Dutch side that paid little homage to the free-flowing "Total Football" embraced by previous Netherlands teams.
For his part Robben, who has called for Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder to be included in the squad, will have to step up and take even more responsibility if the Dutch are to win in Brazil.
As the past season at Bayern has shown, it is something he is currently more than capable of.
Comments