PAVEL NEDVED - CZECH REPUBLIC

Date of birth: Aug. 30, 1972
Birthplace: Cheb, Czech Republic
Club: Juventus (Italy)
Position: Midfielder
International debut: November 1992 vs. Romania

They don't call Czech Republic midfielder Pavel Nedved "the running man" for nothing.

The Juventus star, renowned for his physical fitness, is the first player on the field during training sessions and the last to leave once practice is over and his teammates have already gone home for the day.

This kind of diligent commitment pays off once the game rolls around: Nedved runs, and runs, and runs, and runs, and runs some more. For 90 minutes, the Czech star runs himself ragged, chasing after every loose ball and covering every just about blade of grass on the field.

An industrious midfielder and brilliant playmaker who can dictate the pace of a game, Nedved cuts a dominating figure on the field with his physical style and never-say-die attitude. He is the heart and soul of the Czech team, an inspirational leader who combines skill, vision and a blistering shot and, most of all, an unequalled work ethic.

Nedved began his career in 1991 with Dukla Prague before moving to Sparta Prague — one of the top clubs in the Czech Republic — the following year. Nedved became a key player for Sparta, helping them win three consecutive league titles from 1993-95.

The title streak was broken up in 1996, but Nedved — who scored an amazing 14 goals in 1995-96 — and Sparta still managed to claim some silverware when they won the Czech Cup.

Fans outside of the Czech Republic first took notice of Nedved at Euro '96 when he put in several impressive performances in leading his country to the finals. His strong tournament did not go unnoticed as Italian club Lazio bought his contract out from Sparta.

It was in Italy that Nedved blossomed into one of the best midfielders in the world. He became an integral starter for Lazio during his five years there, helping the Rome-based team win the Italian league title in 2000 and two Italian Cups (1998 and 2000).

With Nedved in top form, underachieving Lazio became one of the better teams in Europe, winning the Cup Winners' Cup and the European Supercup in 1999.

When Juventus sold Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid in 2001, the Turin-based outfit found itself in need of a new influential playmaker. Juventus wasted little time in spending a mind-blowing 41.2 million euros to bring Nedved to Turin.

With Zidane gone and Nedved now pulling the midfield strings, Juventus hardly missed a beat as the Czech star helped Juventus win three league titles in his first four seasons.

2003 proved to be a year of highs and lows for Nedved: He led Juventus to the finals of the Champions League but was forced to miss the game after being yellow carded in the semifinals against Real Madrid. Without Nedved, Juventus looked feeble in losing to fellow Italian club AC Milan in the final.

Still, Nedved was recognized as one of the best players in the world and won the 2003 Balon d'Or — Golden Ball award — as the 2003 European player of the year, the first Czech player to win the honour since the legendary Josef Masopust in 1962.

Nedved captained the Czech Republic at Euro 2004, leading his country into the semifinals where they lost a heartbreaker to eventual champions Greece in extra time. Nedved picked up a knee injury during the tournament and retired from the national team.

But he was coxed out of retirement last year when the Czech Republic faced a do-or-die playoff series with Norway to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. With several key Czech players injured, Nedved answered his country's call and led his team to victory as the Czech Republic qualified for its first World Cup.