Philipp Lahm: An Ode to the Ultimate Professional on the World Cup Winner's Birthday

It's rare that the football Gods create a player so well-rounded and complete, that we struggle to pick any faults in his game, character or approach on and off the field.

Well, the mould was well and truly broken when they made Philipp Lahm. The German star celebrates his birthday today, 11 November, and as he turns 36, we think it's only fair to pay homage to the most reliable and consistent footballer in recent history.

Coming through the Bayern Munich academy, it was immediately obvious that the Bavarian giants had a talent on their hands. Two seasons with the Bayern II side (captaining them in his second year) and another two on loan at Stuttgart, the German outfit were finally satisfied with the cut of the defender's jib.

He was Bayern ready. And so it proved to be. What made Lahm stand out from the rest of the promising youngsters at Germany's most successful club, was firstly his mentality, and then his versatility.

During his development in the academy, he had slotted in at right-back, left-back and defensive midfield, performing all of the roles equally as efficiently. This would become quite the theme in the German's career, as he would be asked to help out wherever necessary, when injuries or lack of cover hit hard.

Now, one of the biggest causes of friction in the world of football is the egos that come with the very talented celebrities. Many superstars would be horrified if they were asked to show enough humility to sacrifice their own personal statistics or happiness for the good of the team, especially if this would then become a regular occurrence throughout a season.

But Lahm embraced the challenge, tucking in at left-back in 2006, when Die Roten somehow ended up with no other players able to play in that position. But they needn't have worried. Their very own personal handyman took up the mantle with minimal fuss, playing all 34 Bundesliga games and winning plaudits during his second professional season in the German top flight.

This was only the beginning, though. Another impressive campaign at left-back led to his future being linked with Barcelona, but Lahm opted to commit to the club who'd paved his way to the top of European football.

And that's where he'd stay. What was most amazing about the Bayern star, was just how good he was at everything he did. Be it in defence or midfield, he would quickly be tipped as the best of his era in that role, only for him to revert to another position and nail that one, too.

It was in midfield where his game really shone, and we saw the true footballing abilities of this insanely talented man. He played the game at his own pace, dictating the tempo as he saw fit and using his years of experience at full-back to read attacks and clinically put them to bed. He was one of the very best holding midfielders in the world, and the only shame is that we saw him in that role all too scarcely.

Of course, his loyalty and commitment to Bayern and his nation was rewarded richly. An eight-time Bundesliga champion, a World Cup winner as captain of his country, and a regular in the 'Team of the Year' categories, Lahm's career received the silverware it deserved.

And when lifting that World Cup trophy and looking to the skies, he must have known, all the personal sacrifice and the hardship - it was all worth it.

Happy birthday, Philipp!