Middlesbrough's Austrian international Emanuel Pogatetz is determined to impress in his home country.
Pogatetz to show home fans what he can do
As befits a man handed the nickname 'Mad Dog', Emanuel Pogatetz has enjoyed an eventful career.
At the age of just 25, the Austria international has already played football in his home country, Germany and Russia, and has made an impact for a variety of reasons.
During his loan spell at Spartak Moscow from Bayer Leverkusen he was handed a six-month ban, ultimately reduced to eight weeks, for a tackle which left Shinnik Yaroslavl midfielder Yaroslav Kharitonsky with a badly broken leg.
The severity of the initial penalty was a result of Pogatetz's departure from the country the following day, although once he realised the extent of the injury, he returned and arranged for Kharitonsky to undergo rehabilitation in Germany.
Having seen his debut in English football at Middlesbrough delayed by that suspension, he was soon to find himself exiled from the international stage after a difference of opinion with national coach Josef Hickersberger.
The player was critical of Hickersberger's tactics following poor results against Costa Rica and Venezuela, and paid for his frankness over 14 long months out in the cold.
Throw into the mix a rapid education into the Barclays Premier League and an unlikely march to the 2006 Uefa Cup final which saw the defender suffer a nasty facial fracture in Basle, and a man still making his way in the game can call upon a wealth of experience gained in a relatively short time.
Stronger
But for all the trials and tribulations the game has thrown at Pogatetz, he has emerged a stronger man and one determined to make the most of his chance on the big stage this summer.
Austria's participation in Euro 2008 as co-hosts has given the former Grazer AK player and his team-mates an opportunity to test himself against the continent's best at a time when they are perhaps not at the strongest they have been in recent years.
A 3-0 friendly defeat by Germany - a dress rehearsal for their Group B clash - in February illustrated the gap between them and the fancied sides, although the following month they led Holland 3-0 before the Dutch hit back in devastating style to win 4-3.
Pogatetz said: "We didn't have to qualify, of course, so everyone is a little bit scared at the moment that we just can't compete with the best teams. We will see."
Pogatetz's return to international football has come as a major boost to him as he continues to cement his reputation as a dependable defender at Middlesbrough.
Emergence
He has established himself as a near-automatic choice at the Riverside Stadium, and his form, coupled with the emergence of youngster David Wheater, persuaded manager Gareth Southgate that he could afford to let England international Jonathan Woodgate for Spurs in January.
But the resolution of his differences with Hickersberger came as a welcome relief.
He said: "Everything is fine now. I have spoken to the manager. That problem has gone."
Pogatetz's rugged style of play - he has had to learn to curb his natural enthusiasm after collecting a rash of yellow cards during his early days in the Premier League - has proved hugely popular with his club's fans, hence his nickname.
However, off the field, the family man is softly-spoken, impeccably mannered and as unassuming as he is forceful on it.
The 'Mad Dog' tag is not one in which he particularly revels, although he understands it was coined affectionately as as a result, is happy to endure it.
He said: "If people like it, then they can use it. If they give you a nickname, then you know they care about you.
"It's better than if nobody knows you. It's okay - but I would prefer a better nickname."
