Toni Kroos to the rescue! Real Madrid star is out of international retirement to save Germany from home Euros embarrassment

In 2014, Kroos was simply a joy to watch. Joachim Low had assembled a wonderfully balanced midfield. Bastian Schweinsteiger operated as the No.6, all hard tackles and ball circulation, Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil pushed forward, and Kroos did all of the bits in-between. This was the perfect example of an unathletic player made to look like a formidable one, covering ground and dominating it with the kind of subtlety of the great tempo-setting midfielders of the game.

The numbers confirmed what the eye could already tell: Kroos was the top performer at the 2014 World Cup. FIFA's Castrol Index, a system that ranked every single player at the tournament, gave Kroos the highest rating in Brazil, pipping Arjen Robben for the top spot.

That tournament introduced Kroos on the global stage, and was enough to convince Real Madrid to snap him up for what now seems an absolute bargain €30 million (£26m/$33m).

Germany have struggled in major tournaments since that World Cup win, however. Their golden generation finally faltered at Euro 2016 - although Kroos was named to the team of the tournament - and the team has since undergone a sequence of disappointments and dramatic failures. 2018 saw them eliminated in the group stage - Kroos' free-kick heroics notwithstanding.

Euro 2020, though, proved to be the end for the midfielder on the national stage. Die Mannschaft struggled all over the pitch in that tournament, and were thoroughly beaten by England in the round of 16. Kroos, perhaps unfairly, took the blame, singled out as the real issue for a side that had inconsistencies in various areas of the field. The midfielder retired shortly after, claiming that he wanted to focus on club football - and saw his career with the team coming to an end.

"I had made the decision to quit after this tournament for a long time. It had been clear to me for a long time that I would not be available for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar," he said.

But the other motives were clear. Kroos, despite being capped 106 times, had become the scapegoat. How could he stay and play for a country that no longer believed in him?

Last January, Ancelotti seemed to indicate to Kroos that he might be on his way out in Madrid. He suggested that the German and fellow veteran midfielder Luka Modric must prepare for a "moment of transition" in the Spanish capital. At the time, it made sense. Kroos struggled for long stretches of the 2022-23 campaign, his aging legs leaving gaps in the suddenly exploitable Madrid midfield. All of the good things about his game remained - the pass completion percentage, ability to shoot from distance, set-piece excellence - but the defensive frailties that always could have cropped up revealed themselves in full.

But this year, at 34, Kroos is a player revitalised. The Madrid side is better balanced. Ancelotti now plays with four midfielders, and has pushed the relentless Federico Valverde into a deeper position to cover the blades of grass that Kroos simply can't reach quickly enough. As a result, Kroos can do all of the things he's good at, while having those weaknesses that have crept into his game unexposed. With 20 La Liga starts to date, Kroos seems set to eclipse his number from last year. His seven league assists are his highest total in three years.

The landscape Kroos will walk into isn't the easiest. There aren't just major tournament issues at play here. Germany have struggled immensely in recent months, facing managerial turnover and poor results. Nagelsmann, hired in September 2023, is yet to convince at the helm. The former Bayern manager has won just one win in his first four games - an unconvincing victory over an underperforming US side.

Some of his tactics have been questioned, too. He used Kai Havertz as a left-back in a 3-2 loss to Turkey, while his inability to get the best out of Leroy Sane - who was sent off against Austria in November - has also been of concern. His player pool has also been an issue; Nagelsmann's old favourites from Bayern are all enduring difficult campaigns domestically, and have carried their poor form into the national team. Piece it all together, and this is a once-great power that needs help.

In that light, then, Kroos' return makes a lot of sense. This is a chaotic side, lacking in control. Bring in the ultimate controller, and, theoretically, this can all settle down.

His tactical fit doesn't seem perfect, though. Nagelsmann has played around with his system, but prefers some variation on the classic 'Red Bull' style 4-2-2-2. It would seem that Kroos would fit most naturally as part of the defensive double pivot. In possession, it could be perfect. Kroos, pinging the ball around from deep-lying positions, would make this team a threat - regardless of opponent.

But things get shakier at the other end. The Germans lack an in-form player to sit alongside Kroos - an ideal defensive presence to cover for his trundling legs. Pascal Gross has slotted in at that position, where he is comfortable covering ground. Still, he isn't a defensive midfielder that Kroos needs to be paired with. Counter-attacks will be a problem.

Still, perhaps more broadly, it's the symbolism of this all that really matters. Kroos was vilified by his own country three years ago, and walked away when the pressure mounted. Few could have blamed him for doing so; his time on the international stage seemed to be up.

But now, he has returned. Whether this is a question of personal pride or serious loyalty to his nation is up for debate. Either way, this is a team that needs a boost, representing a country that needs something to believe in ahead of a major tournament.

And Kroos would seem to be that shining light. He is not a global megastar, with the individual quality to win games on the fly. But he is the ultimate cool head, the controlling presence in the middle of the park that can at least stabilise a chaotic side.