Patrick Vignal
Miroslav Klose will not be a short-lived sensation but will continue to shine after the World Cup, Germany coach Rudi Voeller said of his top striker on Friday.
Voeller, one of the greatest German marksmen of all time, dismissed suggestions that Klose might share the fate of Italy's Salvatore Schillaci, who faded after bursting into the limelight at the 1990 finals in Italy, which he ended as top scorer with six goals.
"You cannot compare with Schillaci, who made a very brief impact," said Voeller, who lifted the World Cup with Germany that same year.
"Everything indicates that Miro (Miroslav) has a great career ahead of him."
Klose, who turned professional three years ago and made his international debut only last year, has exceeded expectations with five goals in the tournament -- the highest tally so far.
The 24-year-old Kaiserslautern forward, who some observers said had too little experience to be in the World Cup squad in the first place, has scored an amazing 13 goals in 15 internationals, including three hat-tricks.
GREAT TALENT
Former Germany captain Oliver Bierhoff, now no longer an automatic starter partly because of Klose's efficiency, admitted he was impressed.
"It was obvious before the World Cup already that Miro was a great talent," Bierhoff said on Friday. "He's extraordinary at headers, he's fast, he's technically gifted and he's extremely dangerous inside the box."
Having such a striker could only help the team as they were preparing for their second-round match against Paraguay on Saturday, added Bierhoff, who has often lifted Germany out of tight spots with important goals.
"It's really reassuring to have him," said the Monaco striker, who will retire from international football after the finals.
"His confidence is high and knowing that he has scored in every match and can make the most of any opportunity brings us security."
Now a target for several top European sides and everybody's darling back home, the quiet, almost shy Klose is doing his best to deal with the sudden exposure.
"After the World Cup his life will not be the same," Voeller said. "Maybe he will not change but the way others look at him will."
Klose, who makes headlines in the German newspapers almost every day, has already experienced that fame comes with a price.
A member of the German delegation confirmed on Friday a report in top-selling daily Bild saying the team had to block calls to his hotel room after he was disturbed by a series of crank calls from Spanish-speaking callers overnight.
"We try to protect him as much as we can but we don't always succeed," said Voeller.
