The fact that Bayern Munich superstar Luca Toni tops the Bundesliga scorer points chart hardly rates as a surprise, but the name of Stanislav Sestak in second place behind the Italian FIFA World Cup™ winner probably raises an eyebrow or two. Since joining Ruhr valley outfit VfL Bochum last summer, the Slovak has supplied a steady stream of goals and assists in a series of increasingly assured displays.

"I've never played any differently than I do for Bochum, but I've learned a few things on top and I'm astonished at how quickly I've settled in German football, although it's equally important that my family and I feel so much at home in Bochum," he revealed to FIFA.com. "The team and the club have been very supportive, we have a fantastic house in Bochum and the best neighbours in the world."

Sestak signed professional forms with 1. FC Tatran Presov in the Slovak top flight, scoring nine goals in 42 appearances over the next 18 months before switching to domestic giants Slovan Bratislava in the winter of 2001. However, a return of just six goals in 58 matches saw him transferred to MSK Zilina just two years later in December 2003.

Sestak hits the gas at MSK
It turned out to be an inspired move for the then 21-year-old. Sestak collected 2004 and 2007 championship winners' medals, finishing top scorer in 2005/06 and second in the same ranking a year later. An impressive spell with MSK yielded 49 goals in 99 matches.

That prolific strike rate persuaded Bundesliga club VfL Bochum to part with €750,000 to lure the striker to Germany in the summer of 2007, as a replacement for Bayer Leverkusen-bound Bundesliga top scorer Theofanis Gekas.

Six months later, Sestak is beginning to look a bargain, rapidly picking up the mantle laid down by Gekas and ensuring few fans now regret the Greek international's departure. Sestak's impressive nine goals and eight assists in 22 appearances have propelled VfL to the comfort zone in mid-table. "But our target was, and remains, 45 points. [VfL Bochum coach] Marcel Koller insists we genuinely take each game as it comes and not start getting any silly ideas. We'll only aim for more once we've reached our target," said Sestak.

Modesty the best policy
Neither is the Slovak moved to boast about his direct contribution to 18 of his side's 34 goals this season: "We win and lose as a team. It's a cliché, but none of us wins games on his own, and I'm not worth a cent without my team-mates. Our goals come from a variety of players, and the lads managed to beat Leverkusen without me being involved at all."

Sestak's modesty is a natural character trait. An exemplary team player, he is never known to give less than 100 per cent to the cause. This is reflected in his five bookings this term, more than any of the club's defenders, although the 25-year-old has a plausible explanation to hand. "In Bochum, I've learned that defending is as much a part of a striker's game as attacking, and it's something the coach emphasises all the time. I do need to be a little smarter though, and I have to say I don't think all the cards were deserved," Sestak explains with a smile.

Sestak is the third Slovak to make his mark on the Bundesliga. Marek Mintal switched from Zilina to 1. FC Nurnberg in 2003, finishing top scorer in the second division in his debut season. His goals catapulted the men from Nuremberg into the top flight, where Mintal again topped the scoring charts. Fellow countryman Robert Vittek arrived at FCN the same year from Slovan Bratislava, and has netted 35 times in 109 appearances since then.

So why do Slovakia internationals thrive in Germany? "I can't really speak on behalf of my fellow countrymen. I hardly had any problems settling down, and I very quickly picked up the way German football works. There's also the Slovak mentality, we're open and very ambitious when faced with a task. We're a small but very cosmopolitan country, so we're aware we can improve by learning from all kinds of sources," Sestak explains.

Aiming high with Slovakia
The striker received a first Slovakia call-up in 2004, scoring twice in 17 internationals so far. He and his team-mates are determined to correct the fact that the Slovaks have yet to qualify for a European Championship or FIFA World Cup™ since independence from the former Czechoslovakia.

"We're on the right track. Our youth development programmes are coming along, and the domestic league is getting stronger. Also, more of our players are moving to bigger leagues. After we've found our feet in that sort of environment, we'll succeed in qualifying for a major tournament. We certainly have the potential," the Bochum striker declares optimistically.

The next opportunity is in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, where the Slovaks face none other than the Czech Republic. "Obviously they're special matches, but you never get any bother away from the field of play," he continued. "As for the players, we pretty much all know each other, and we simply play to win. We get stuck into each other, and then it's all forgotten at the final whistle."

The Slovaks are also grouped with Poland, Northern Ireland, Slovenia and San Marino, but the upbeat mood which pervades Sestak's interview with FIFA.com is partly drawn from his country's new-found belief and purpose. He has a positive message for the nation's football followers: "I feel we have a chance against all the other teams, although Poland are definitely the favourites. We'll do whatever we can to get through."

The fans in Slovakia will play their part with loyal support as their heroes aim for a berth in South Africa, but even if "Project 2010" ends in disappointment, the man nicknamed 'Stani' by his Bochum team-mates will not be losing sight of his ultimate goal: "I'd really like Slovakia to appear at the World Cup for the first time in 2010, but if it's not to be, we'll go for it at the next tournament. We Slovaks are pretty stubborn. We don't give up until we succeed."