Halfway through the Czechs' qualifying campaign, he had featured for a grand total of just 20 minutes - every one as a substitute.

Then, having come on as a second-half sub against Estonia and Scotland, he scored in both games, winning himself a place in the starting line-up.

He followed this up with a brace against Lithuania and further strikes against Bosnia and the Faroe Islands, bringing his tally since his February 1999 debut to nine goals in 10 matches.

Although his height obviously makes him a threat in the air, Koller also has a better touch on the ground than one would imagine. He is no Ian Ormondroyd - and his record in domestic football is just as impressive as on the international stage.

In the last season and a half he averages a goal every two games in the Belgian league.

He has only been at Anderlecht for a relatively short period, but already there is talk of a big-money transfer to one of Europe's glamour clubs.

A decent performance this summer can only speed up such a move.