БУНДЭСЛИГИЙН ИРЭЭДҮЙ БОЛОХ ЗАЛУУС........ Marko Marin: the magic apprenticeage: 20
club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
games last season: 33 (4 goals, 10 assists)
Bundesliga appearances overall: 37 (all for Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Marko Marin's call-up into the provisional Germany squad for EURO 2008 raised more than a few eyebrows. He did not make the final 22, but rarely before had an upcoming talent been under such close scrutiny as was Marin the following season.
Having been one of the key figures in Gladbach's successful promotion drive in 2007-08, the 20-year-old attacking talent was equally instrumental in keeping them up in the season just ended.
In his 33 appearances - some as a substitute - Marin laid on ten of the 39 goals scored by the Foals over the campaign. Overall, he was directly involved in 121 of Borussia's attempts on goal - a remarkable 29 percent of their overall quota.
He undertook the second-highest number of solo runs (162), coming off best in 55 percent of them. And he delivered the most crosses from open play (178).
Benedikt Höwedes: rock steady at the backage: 21
club: FC Schalke 04
games last season: 24 (2 goals, 1 assist)
Bundesliga appearances overall: 30 (all for FC Schalke 04)
After five years and 131 Bundesliga appearances, Mladen Krstajic has parted company with Schalke 04. The Serbian defender has been a vital component of a defence that helped the Royal Blues to four successive top-four finishes prior to last season and twice ended the season as the team conceding the fewest goals.
That the future continues to look bright at the back for Schalke is down in great part to Benedikt Höwedes. Alongside two headed goals in his 24 top-flight appearances, he also bagged the added-time strike in the play-offs that took Germany's U-21s through to the current European Championships in Sweden.
The 21-year-old defender hit 112 long passes (over 22 metres) last season, 75 percent of which found a team-mate. His overall pass accuracy rate was an even more impressive 89.9 percent.
Sami Khedira: the Swabian strategistage: 22
club: VfB Stuttgart
games last season: 27 (7 goals, 3 assists)
Bundesliga appearances overall: 73 (all for VfB Stuttgart)
This was the season that Sami Khedira played his way into the front rank of Bundesliga midfielders. In 27 appearances he bagged seven goals for VfB - easily a personal best tally for the 30-time junior international with dual German-Tunisian citizenship.
He was also the fifth-highest-scoring midfielder in the division. In his 46 top-flight appearances prior to 2008-09, Stuttgart-born Khedira had bagged just five goals.
From his defensive midfield role, he also laid on twenty more shots on goal for Mario Gomez and co., and impressed all-round with an overall successful pass rate of 75.8 percent.
Caio: in focus at Frankfurtage: 23
club: Eintracht Frankfurt
games last season: 17 (2 goals)
Bundesliga appearances overall: 27 (all for Eintracht Frankfurt)
The past season was not an easy one for Caio. The Brazilian midfielder made just 17 appearances for Eintracht, and only five of those from the start.
When he did play however he certainly made his presence felt, taking a shot on goal every 18 minutes on average, a Bundesliga chart-topping statistic.
In 662 minutes on the pitch last season, Caio scored twice and set up another 14 attempts on goal. Plenty of room there then for upward mobility on the part of the midfielder new coach Michael Skibbe is investing his faith in.
Julian Schuster: a rapid ascentage: 24
club: SC Freiburg
games last season: 26 (6 goals, 7 assists)
Bundesliga appearances overall: 2 (VfB Stuttgart 2007-08)
Thus far, 2009 has very much been Julian Schuster year. Largely unknown outside of Freiburg at the end of the first season half, the 24-year-old midfielder was hitting the headlines with regularity once the league action resumed.
His seven assists marked a division best in the second half of the campaign as Freiburg outstripped their rivals to claim the 2. Bundesliga title. Six of the goals he laid on came by way of set pieces: five free-kicks and one corner.
Schuster also impressed with his finishing in his first 2. Bundesliga season, with one in every five efforts finding the net. Four of his six goals were also netted following the resumption of play after the winter break.