Lukas Podolski speaks about his sense of identity in an interview with DW.

DW: You came to Germany when you were two years old. Your parents speak Polish. Are you more Polish or more German?

Lukas Podolski: That's a difficult question. I always say I have two hearts – one beats for Poland and the other for Germany. This won't change.

If you could make the choice, would you prefer to be seen as a Pole, a German, or a European?

I'm just as happy to be Polish as I am to be German. In Cologne, where I live, there are lots of Poles. And I am happy that the relationship between Poland and Germany is so different from the way it was 50 or 20 years ago.

What is the most important thing in life to you?

I have a four year old son and he is the most important thing in the world to me.

What are your expectations ahead of this tournament in Poland, the land of your birth?

We certainly want to go very far. That's our goal. I am pleased for Poland as a country, that new motorways are being constructed, new businesses, new stadiums. Of course I hope that Poland go a long way, that they don't get eliminated in the group stages as has been the case in recent tournaments. I hope that this gives the country and soccer there a bit of a boost, that the clubs profit from it, as was the case with us in 2006.

Interview: Roma Stacherska-Jung / pfd
Editor: Matt Zuvela