A long time ago, probably around the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.
Because of an injury to Germany's main center-back, Metzelder got the opportunity and delivered a phenomenal performance.
He even won the European Young Player of the Year award.
The European Young Player of the Year award, also known as the Bravo Award, was established by the authoritative Italian sports magazine "Guerin Sportivo," with selections beginning in 1978, recognizing the best newcomer in Europe each year.
In 1992, "Guerin Sportivo" amended the selection criteria to limit the scope to players under the age of 23 playing for European clubs, while players who hadn't participated in the three major European cups had to be under 21.
This is a highly authoritative award, considered a prestigious reference in international football for newcomer evaluation, with some even calling the European Young Player of the Year award the "Little Golden Ball."
