Soccer-Euro-Greece striker Gekas prepares to shine on big stage

ATHENS May 23 (Reuters) - Fanis Gekas needed a spell in the Bundesliga to blossom into the striker who will lead the line for Greece in their title defence at Euro 2008.

Gekas, who turns 28 later this month, was always a good goalscorer from the moment he started his professional career with his local club Larissa, who were then in the second division. But he was never the finished article.

He consistently found the back of the net too for Kallithea, with 46 goals in 99 league appearances, and then again for Panathinaikos, who he joined midseason in 2005 on his way to becoming the league's top scorer. But something was still wrong.

His first touch was poor and, in spite of an impressive strike rate of around one every two games, he came across as an inconsistent finisher.

His break came in 2006 when Panathinaikos signed Dimitris Salpigidis from PAOK, with Gekas due to go the other way as part of the deal. However, he put his foot down and managed to secure a loan deal instead to struggling Bundesliga club VfL Bochum.

It proved to be a turning point in his career. Playing in a tougher league and away from the critical eyes and voices at home, the hard-working Gekas moved up a level.

His season there turned him into a fans' favourite as he notched 20 league goals, helping the club secure a mid-table finish and making him the top scorer in the Bundesliga.

Gekas then moved to Bayer Leverkusen where, despite spending more time on the bench, he still managed to score 11 times last season.

In the meantime, he has begun to look more comfortable and confident on the ball in a Greece shirt, especially since German coach Otto Rehhagel started using him in a three-man forward line.

Having made his Greece debut in 2005, Gekas had to wait for his 15th international appearance before scoring in a 2-0 qualifying win over Hungary in Crete last June.

However, he has since gone on to score five more, including a hat-trick against Malta last November, and will be looking to add that tally at Euro 2008.

(Editing by Trevor Huggins)