wɪð kənsˈɪstəntli ɡˈʊd klˈʌb pɚfˈoːɹmənsᵻz ðə fˈɑːloʊɪŋ jˈɪɹz, hiː wʌz pɹəmˈoʊɾᵻd tə ðə stˈɑːɹɾɪŋ lˈaɪnˌʌp fɔːɹ jˈuːfə jˈʊɹɹoʊ tˈuː θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪt plˈeɪd ˌɔn hˈoʊm sˈɔɪl, ænd bɪkˌeɪm ðə stˈɑːɹɾɚ sˈʌbsᵻkwəntli.
With consistently good club performances the following years, he was promoted to the starting line-up for UEFA Euro 2008 played on home soil, and became the starter subsequently.