Goal-scoring Gomez staking claim to be Germany's premier striker

Two years on from perhaps his biggest disappointment in soccer, Mario Gomez staked a claim to lead Germany's misfiring attack at the European Championship.

Gomez, who wasn't picked for Germany's triumphant World Cup campaign in Brazil through poor form, scored his side's sole goal in a 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

"I always said to myself, that wasn't it. That doesn't work. My time with the national team can't be ended like that," Gomez said. "I followed the guys on TV in 2014 and was a huge fan. But I always had the urge to return, to be there again. It's simply something special, a special team packed with world class players."