Xherdan Shaqiri - Switzerland's World Cup 2014 speedster unravelled
XHERDAN SHAQIRI - BAYERN
AGE: 22, CAPS/GOALS: 32/8
Xherdan Shaqiri is heading to the World Cup with Ottmar Hitzfeld and the Switzerland squad.
Here, Sportsmail takes a closer look at the Bayern Munich playmaker.
VIDEO: Scroll down for Xherdan Shaqiri prepares for World Cup with Swiss team-mates
Playmaker: Xherdan Shaqiri will be pivotal to Switzerland's goalscoring hopes at the World Cup
Tricky: The Swiss international has eight goals in 32 caps
END OF TERM REPORT: Shaqiri has found first-team chances hard to come by under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich. After all, when Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze are the men keeping you on the bench, there can be little complaints. The left-footed winger, who goes by Shaq in the Bundesliga, played just 17 games, scoring six. It is that lack of game time at the Allianz Arena that seems to be luring the 22-year-old to the Premier League. He got a brief, and surprising, taste of World Cup football in 2010. This time around, he’s more mature and, certainly, fresh.
GRADE: B+
IF HE WAS BRAZILIAN HE’D BE CALLED: Shaqda
RATING FOR RIO: 8/10 – Fresh and itching for his chance.
KEY STAT: At just 22, Shaqiri has two Bundesliga titles, a Champions League winners’ medal, three Swiss Super League titles, two Swiss Cup wins, a Super Cup and a Club World Cup win to his name.
Diminutive: Shaqiri was a bit-part player at Bayern Munich last campaign
Nodder: Shaqiri in training with Swiss team-mate Blerim Dzemaili right)
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