Chelsea midfielder Andre Schurrle admits he takes inspiration from former Blue Michael Ballack.
The end of his first season may have been "very disappointing" as Chelsea missed out on all the major honours but Schurrle believes he can shine in Brazil, having had the assistance of a few pep talks from the most important influence on his career.
"Michael is my idol and when he played here at Chelsea I watched every single match," said Schurrle. "Of course, they are good footsteps for me to follow in and we are almost the same [in career development]. He was one of the biggest German midfielders of all time, maybe the best.
"I had the pleasure to play in the national team with him and at Leverkusen. That was really big for me, it helped me a lot. We are still in touch, we text every month and he wishes me luck and helps me a lot by giving me tips. He is a really big key in my career.
"My biggest World Cup memories are from 2002 and the semi-final where Michael scored and we got to the final. He had got a yellow card and knew he would be suspended for the final but he gave everything for the team. You saw his spirit and that was very impressive.
"I was starting to love football then, starting to see how it was played and have my idols - and Michael was amazing in that tournament."
