Toni Kroos in control of the middle for Germans

Midfielder happy to create opportunities for his teammates to score rather than take any credit, as his Germany form reaches a peak at 2014 World Cup.

Germany coach Joachim Loew walks beside player Toni Kroos during a training session on Thursday at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters / June 18, 2014

For the past few years, Toni Kroos has been billed as the most promising midfielder of his generation, but the 24-year-old German had the unfortunate habit of disappearing in his national side’s biggest matches.

But that was before he turned in a brilliant performance against Portugal five days ago.

With two assists and an eye-popping 96 per cent accuracy rating, with 76 of his 79 passes on target in the 4-0 win on Monday, the midfielder was at the heart of Germany’s attack and had arguably the best of his 45 matches for the national side.

“It was a good start for us but nothing more than a start,” Kroos said at the club’s training site in Santo Andre, near Sao Paulo.

“We’re here with the aim of winning the World Cup. We’re going to need to play as well as that in all seven matches.”

Kroos has long been an essential part of Bayern Munich’s midfield, setting up his teammates with scintillating passes, and he has had many sterling performances in the past two seasons.

He helped Bayern win the 2013 Uefa Champions League and back-to-back Bundesliga and cup titles in Germany the past two years.

At international level, though, he faced criticism for going missing in key matches, such as Germany’s 2-0 semi-final loss to Italy at Euro 2012 and for his role in Germany’s 4-4 draw against Sweden in 2013 after they squandered a 4-0 lead.

Kroos bristled at the suggestion that he had failed to deliver in big matches. But he conceded that his role might not be as glamorous as his teammates, who often grab the headlines by scoring goals from his passes.

“What’s important is what the coach and my close friends think about me,” Kroos said. “Everything else is secondary.”

Kroos apparently has taken over from his Bayern teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger as Germany’s playmaking midfielder, and he can also be counted on to bolster coach Joachim Loew’s defence – a role that suits him and is similar to the one he plays at Bayern.

Kroos said he was happy with his role setting up his teammates for goals and is not bothered that he has only five goals in 45 appearance for Germany and 13 for Bayern in 111 Bundesliga matches.

“I’m happy making good precise passes to the guys up front who can do something with them,” he said. “That’s what I like to do and that’s important for the team.”

Hansi Flick, Loew’s assistant, said Kroos was doing everything Germany expects of him, except perhaps scoring a bit more often.

“Toni can open up matches with his passing and he sets up goals nicely,” said Flick. “He richly deserves to be in the starting line-up. The only thing that he’s not doing is scoring goals. That’s how he can improve.”

Kroos, born in the communist East Germany town of Greifswald just two months after the Berlin Wall fell, was spotted as one of the country’s great young talents as a teenager and at 16 moved from Hansa Rostock to Bayern Munich, where he marked his Bundesliga debut at 17 with two assists.

He later spent 18 months on loan at Bayer Leverkusen and has been a regular in Bayern’s first XI since Pep Guardiola arrived in Munich.

Top clubs, such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid, reportedly are eager to sign Kroos, whose contract with Bayern runs until next July.

His Bayern teammates Thomas Muller (to 2019) and Philipp Lahm (to 2018) recently extended their contracts at the Munich club.

Kroos said his future is uncertain. “There’s nothing new for me to report,” he said.

“You will all find out as soon as there’s a new development.”

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