Claudio Pizarro first played in the Bundesliga in 1999 - and has spent the vast bulk of his time since there
Claudio Pizarro first played in the Bundesliga in 1999 - and has spent the vast bulk of his time since there

Peruvian top gun at home in Munich

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Claudio Pizarro, the Bundesliga's highest-scoring foreigner ever, has hit the net more often than any player currently active in Germany's top flight.

Bremen to Bayern...

Pizarro took his first steps towards becoming a professional footballer in his native Peru with Deportivo Pesquero and Alianza Lima, but it didn't take long for his talents to be recognised abroad. At 21 he crossed the pond to join SV Werder Bremen and went on to score 29 goals in two seasons for them, attracting suitors from around Europe in the process.

The powerful forward opted to remain in the Bundesliga, however, signing up with record titleholders FC Bayern München. Over the following six years in the Bavarian capital Pizarro helped fire Bayern to the domestic league and cup double no less than three times, in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

Top-level European glory proved elusive, though, and Pizarro moved on to big-spending English Premier League side Chelsea in the hope of adding a UEFA Champions League medal to his collection. He was part of the squad that reached the Champions League final against Manchester United in 2008, but had to watch from the bench bench as the London outfit came off second-best in a penalty shoot-out.

...Bremen to Bayern, again


Pizarro returned to Bremen that same summer on an initial loan deal and wasted no time re-establishing his status as Werder's go-to frontman. He signed up on a three-year contract and, on the back of another great campaign in 2011/12, the evergreen Peruvian goalgetter headed south for his second stint with FC Bayern.

And what a spell it proved to be. Although no longer an automatic first-choice, Pizarro still netted six goals in 20 Bundesliga outings in 2012/13 as Bayern romped to the league title, while also finding the target in the club's triumphant DFB Cup and Champions League campaigns.

His contribution was deemed important enough to warrant a one-year contract extension, and he paid the club back with 10 goals in just 17 league appearances, earning yet another new deal up to 2015, embarking on his ninth season for the club in 2014/15.