Frings is king in Germany

Winning streak
Frings has been a revelation in his second spell at the Weserstadion following two seasons at BV Borussia Dortmund and a miserable one-year stint with FC Bayern München. The 30-year-old is hoping to continue his resurgence when the Bundesliga resumes this weekend following its winter break, with Bremen targeting a fifth straight league win as they host Hannover 96.

Ever-present
Two years ago, such a rebirth would have seemed highly improbable. He returned from Bayern branded a failure, with his best position - either in the back four or midfield - open to debate. But since the 2006 FIFA World Cup he has been considered the star of the No6 role as a holding midfielder and has played every minute of Bremen's 17 Bundesliga matches.

Budding striker
Frings started his career at TC Alsdorf Rot Weiss 1919, where he was coached to be a striker, before six years in the ranks at TSV Alemannia Aachen. Bremen then signed Frings in 1996 where he was moulded into an all-rounder who could fly down the flanks and close the gaps in the back four. Yet his first spell at the Weserstadion was not a happy one. He said that he preferred the way Dortmund played and even claimed Bremen were "ruining my career".

Father figure
But after stays at both Dortmund and Bayern, Frings found a mentor in the form of Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf. Frings said: "It's something like a father-son relationship. I know that I can count on him when I need him." Schaaf was equally glowing in his praise. After the 2006 World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, Schaaf said: "In my view, Torsten is the most eye-catching player in the tournament."

Costly fracas
That game, against arguably the most impressive side at the World Cup, was certainly a high point in his career. Frings dominated from his defensive midfield berth, snuffing out opposition attacks and nullifying the threat of Argentina's playmaker Juan Román Riquelme. Sadly, he was banned from the semi-final against Italy by video evidence after a fracas with Julio Cruz during the tumultuous scenes on the pitch after the game. Later Frings said: "I felt cheated out of my just rewards."

Title favourites
But a new dream could be about to come true. The Bremen captain wants to bring the title back to the Weserstadion for the second time in four years, while the club are one of the fancied teams to lift the UEFA Cup. Frings is bullish about his side's chances of claiming the Bundesliga crown at least. He said: "We're the favourites. We're playing the most attractive football and we have the best chance." Given his resurgence, few would argue.