Klose sets sights on Golden Boot award

Jul 6, 2006, 15:07 GMT

Berlin - World Cup tournament top scorer Miroslav Klose says he wants to win the Golden Boot so at least one trophy stays in Germany.

The Werder Bremen striker is on five goals going into Saturday's third-place match against Portugal.

Realistically he can only now be overtaken by team-mate Lukas Podolski or French striker Thierry Henry - both on three goals - for the award as tournament top scorer.

Henry, however, would need an unlikely hat-trick in the final against Italy - a team which has conceded only an own goal so far in the tournament - to overtake the German.

'Everybody knows I am a team player and the main thing is to finish third, and if I can make my contribution then I will be pleased,' Klose said Thursday.

'But it is a great thing to be top goalscorer at a World Cup and my wish is that Germany has at least one title.'

Klose has a total of 10 World Cup goals from two tournaments. He is now joint third all-time German goalscorer at World Cups along with Helmut Rahn but behind Gerd Mueller on 14 and his coach Juergen Klinsmann on 11.

The 28-year-old striker said he did not know if the team's regular penalty takers would help him by allowing him to take a spot kick should Germany be awarded one against Portugal.

'I think it would be a spontaneous decision. I believe I can take a penalty but not with the thought of being leading goalscorer,' Klose said.

However Klose admitted he might struggle to play. 'I have a pain in the calf and we have to see how it goes. I want to play but if I can't give 100 per cent it won't make sense,' he said.

Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann said he was torn between Henry, his Arsenal team-mate for the last three years, and German team-mate Klose as his choice for the award.

Lehmann said he wished it for Henry 'because of his class and the professional attitude you see every day'. On the other hand 'it would be fantastic for Miro' who has had 'a super World Cup'.

Podolski, meanwhile 'is a bit too young' and will have other opportunities in the future. 'You never know with a young player whether it might go to his head,' he said.