Michael Ballack Bio

German skipper Michael Ballack signed for Chelsea on a free transfer after four seasons with German Champions Bayern Munich.

Although he came on a free, there was the small matter of a reported wage of £120,000-a-week.

But Ballack's impact at Chelsea was negligible and his below par performances were said to be one of the reasons the Blues lost their Premier League crown to Manchester United.

He struggled to adapt to the pace of the English game and to sharing a midfield role with Frank Lampard who clearly outshone the Germany international.

Well known for being a versatile and well-conditioned player, as well as one of the best headers of the ball in world football, Ballack made his name as a classic box-to-box midfielder with Bayer Leverkusen.

Ballack arrived as a real world-class player who can play with either foot. These attributes earned him the German player of the year award on three occasions (2002, 2003, 2005).

Beginning his career in 1995, Ballack was given his first professional contract by Chemnitzer FC, thanks to his impressive performances in the role of central midfield.

Dubbed the 'Little Kaiser' in reference to German legend Franz Beckenbauer, his skills were noticed by decorated German coach Otto Rehhagel and he signed for FC Kaiserslautern in the summer of 1997.

Ballack became a regular in the side over the coming years, and he was fully established as a kep component of the side in 1999, where he made his first international appearance for Germany.

Ballack moved to Bayer Leverkusen for ¬4.8 million, at the age of 22, where he would go on to make his name as one of the best players in Germany.

Making his full breakthrough under coaches Christoph Daum and Klaus Toppmöller, Ballack was given licence to roam and pull the strings in the centre of the pitch. Proving a reliable finisher, he scored 27 goals in 3 seasons at the BayArena and netted a further 9 times in Europe.

His development into one of Europe's best midfielders continued as Leverkusen endured a heartbreaking 2001/02 season, coming second in the Bundesliga again and losing in both the UEFA Champions League final and German Cup final.

He also endured the personal agony of losing the World Cup Final in the same year, although his remarkable season- finishing with 17 league goals from midfield, led to him being voted Germany's Footballer of the Year.

Real Madrid approached the midfielder but he chose to stay in Germany, signing instead for German giants Bayern Munich in a ¬12.9 m deal in 2002.

Ballack was deployed more defensively in the Munich side, but still popped up with 10 goals as Bayern stormed the to Bundesliga title. He also scored twice in the 3-1 German Cup final win against Kaiserslautern.

After a difficult second season, Ballack claimed the midfield role for himself in 2004/05 as Bayern completed another double. In four seasons at Bayern, Ballack won three Bundesliga and German Cup doubles and scored 47 goals in 135 matches.

Between 1998 and 2005, Ballack had notched up 61 goals in his domestic league.

However, in 2006, his relationship with Bayern turned sour. Open criticism from general manager Uli Hoeness did not help matters and Ballack made it clear he was looking for a big move when his contract expired in the summer.

During his final few games, he was jeered throughout the stadium, despite his years of service.

Ballack agreed a transfer to big spending Chelsea in summer 2006, on a Bosman free deal. Reportedly the highest paid Premiership player on £120,000 a week, Ballack iterated his desire to stamp his authority on the English game.

So far, however, he has only managed to stamp on Momo Sissoko and get himself sent off in the Community Shield match against Liverpool.

Despite his settling in period, manager Jose Mourinho is a great admirer of the player, saying: 'For me he's one of the best players in the world. He's very intelligent, tactically very strong and he scores a lot of goals. For me in Europe there's only [England and Chelsea's] Frank Lampard who plays at that level. The two would form a dream pair.'

Scoring his first goal for the club in September 2006, a penalty, Ballack then struggled with a hip injury, limiting his first team chances at the start of the season.

On his return to fitness he still looked a shadow of the player who had carved out a reputation as one of the best midfielders in Europe.

And his first season in England ended in mid-April due to an ankle injury. His only trophy was the League Cup.

Throughout the campaign Ballack was linked with a move away due to his inability to settle, but Mourinho was determined to make it work.