Lahm emerges in style from injury despair

BERLIN, June 16 (Reuters) A freak injury suffered in a training match on May 16 left Philipp Lahm terrified that his chance of playing for Germany at the World Cup had gone.

One month on, the 22-year-old left-back is acknowledged as one of the tournament's outstanding players and the new hero in a German team short on star quality.

Lahm scored the World Cup's first goal, a perfectly struck curler in the sixth minute of the 4-2 win over Costa Rica.

He was named man of the match in the 1-0 win over Poland for playing impeccably in defence and with real menace going forward.

His performances, which have helped Germany secure qualification to the last 16, have been all the more remarkable considering he has had to wear a cast on his left elbow.

That is the legacy of the awkward fall in an exhibition match in Mannheim.

Lahm needed surgery on damaged tendons but was back training within days, to the relief of coach Juergen Klinsmann.

''I went into the dressing room while the match was going on,'' Klinsmann said at a news conference today. ''I couldn't bear to watch any more after seeing the injury to Philipp.'' UNUSUAL CASE Lahm, who is an unusual case of being a right-footed left-back, has had to work hard to make it this far.

He made his international debut in early 2004 and played in the European Championship but in May 2005, shortly before returning to Bayern Munich from a two-year loan spell at VfB Stuttgart, he suffered cruciate knee ligament damage.

He was out of action for six months and only played his first match for Bayern in November 2005.

''I had always hoped that the World Cup would go this well,'' Lahm said at a news conference today.

''When I was sidelined I didn't know if I was going to be able to play at all.

''I felt so miserable but the operation was in Munich and my family was there and that was a big help.'' Klinsmann has been as impressed as everyone else by Lahm's start and he will look for more of those driving runs and sharp passes when Germany shoot it out with Ecuador for first place in Group A in Berlin on Tuesday.

''We supported him after the injury and he's already given back so much,'' Klinsmann said. ''There are not many people at international level with his quality.'' REUTERS PDS PM1956