Lucasz Piszczeck is starting his third season at Borussia Dortmund. The skilled striker meets the modern requirements for a defender. He’s been playing again since November 2013 after a hip injury – and is an important part of the black and yellow team.

The full-back combines athleticism with experience. He hasn’t just got good vision and awareness, but also brings a lot of pace on the right wing. Last season he sustained an ankle injury in a tackle by Turin’s Pogba and was sidelined for ten weeks.

The matches he played in his Silesian homeland with LKS Goczalkowice Zdroj gave the 30 year old Lucasz Piszczeck experience – during this time he played as a striker. In 2001 he transferred to Gwarek Zabrze, where two years later he celebrated winning the Polish A-Youth Championship. At the time his great talent had already attracted the interest of several foreign clubs. In 2004 the Bundesliga club Hertha BSC Berlin finally signed the then 20 year old, only to immediately loan him back out to Polish first division side MKS Zaglebie Lubin, where he got game time.

It was the start of a successful time for him: Piszczeck was a regular player and in early summer 2007 he was able to celebrate winning the Polish Championship with Lubin. That year he made his debut in the national team and he benefitted from Blaszczykowski’s injuries and replaced him in the European Championships. Piszczeck came on as a substitute in the first game against Germany (0-2) but then dropped out due to an injury.

For the 2007/2008 season, Piszczeck returned to Berlin. After a good first year in the capital with a total of 24 appearances (one goal) as a striker and left winger, the following 2008/2009 season was mixed, as he was often injured and only played 13 games. The Pole was often played as a right back by Lucian Favre, who was the Hertha coach at the time. At the start of his time in Berlin he still wanted to play as a centre forward, but to no avail as Piszczeck said this in retrospect: “I quickly realised that I didn’t have a chance against Marko Pantelic”

In the 2009/2010 season he played as a right back again and was promoted to a regular in the starting eleven (40 competitive matches). He was one of the best in Berlin’s shirt. Despite this, at the end of the season, relegation with Hertha was a bitter experience for Pizczeck, for whom the best possible triumph followed a year later as one of the top BVB players.

One of his greatest strengths is his versatility. He can play both offensively and defensively on both sides. In addition, the 184cm tall Pole has an extremely good technical knowledge, is a very good striker of the ball and as a trained striker he has a “natural” tendency to play towards the opposing goal. As a Polish international the 30 year old has a lot of international experience behind him.

Off the pitch Piszczeck is a man of few words. The husband and father of one daughter, surrounds himself with people he knows and who are close to him. Interviews are not really his favourite things to do. “It’s a part of my character that I’m careful when dealing with the media,” he explains, “People want to know so much, but I have a private life as well and I want to protect my family.”