Lazio Player

Stephan Lichtsteiner (born January 16, 1984 in Adligenswil) is a Swiss footballer. Having represented Switzerland at every junior level, Lichtsteiner has played in the 1999 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship and the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.

Football career

Lichtsteiner began his career at Grasshopper Zurich in 2001–02, and come the next year he became a first-team member, helping the Swiss team gain the league title. During the 2004–05 season he sealed a transfer to Lille OSC as one of five Swiss players to enter Ligue 1 during the summer of 2005. Since July 16, 2008, he's an official member of SS Lazio.

In the end, he signed for S.S. Lazio for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of 1.5 million euros and is going to take the place of fellow Swiss international Valon Behrami who is leaving the club, his most probable destination being England with West Ham United.

International Career

Stephan Lichtsteiner was first called up to the Switzerland national football team in 2005.

He was called up to a major tournament for the first time in the UEFA Euro 2008 and he was given the number 5 shirt. His main achievement in his international career to date came in this tournament where he played in every minute of every game that Switzerland played as a right back, leaving much more experienced and Liverpool FC right back Philipp Degen on the bench.

Switzerland were eliminated in the group stage after losing to Czech Republic 1-0 and Turkey 2-1 with a last gasp goal by Arda Turan. But, in their last group game against Portugal, they went on to win 2-0, both goals scored by attacking midfielder Hakan Yakin. Stephan Lichtsteiner played in all these games and because of his performances in these three games, he attracted interest from a number of clubs and in the end signed for S.S. Lazio.