Gekas is a goal-scoring machine for Greece
Greek striker has a knack for being in the right place at the right time
THEOFANIS GEKAS
Born: May 23, 1980, in Larissa, Greece
Position: Striker
Nickname: Fanis
Clubs played for: Gekas started out with hometown club AEL 1964, in 1998, before making the love to Kallithea FC three years later. It was at Kallithea that he earned a reputation as a potent goal-scorer, and Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos scooped him up in 2005. A dispute with ownership led to his loan with German side Bochum in 2006. Gekas won the hearts of Bochum fans by continuing his torrid scoring pace, but he was gone the following year - this time sold to Bayer Leverkusen, another German team.
International career: Gekas earned his first cap for Greece in 2005 during a World Cup qualifying game against Albania. He went on to represent his country at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany, and has been a mainstay with the Greek national team ever since. His first goal for Greece came in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Hungary in 2007.
Why is he so special? A classic goal-poacher, Gekas might not be pretty in his play, but he has a knack for being in the right place at the right time and for scoring crucial goals.
His most famous moment: Finishing as the top scorer in the Bundesliga during the 2006-07 season.
He said it: "I don't care about goals and records as long as the team wins."
What they're saying about him: "I love the way he plays. There's no fancy stuff, he just heads straight for goal and his instincts always take him to where a good striker needs to be." - Marcel Koller, former Bochum coach
Here's an interesting fact: Koller once described Gekas as Bochum' s "life insurance" policy - a reference to the fact that the Greek's 20 goals during the 2006-07 season helped the club avoid relegation.