LUKAS PODOLSKI sticks a couple of stunning left-footed shots into the top corner of the net.
He jokes with the first-team squad, plays football with a couple of young children and speaks at length to a pensioner watching from the side.
Yet one of Germany's biggest football stars is not at Cologne, the club where he is about to end a second spell before joining Arsenal for £11million.
Podolski is at his real home: the Lukas Podolski Sportpark.
Although born in Poland, Podolski was aged two when his family moved to Germany for a new life and he grew up in the town of Bergheim.
Remarkably, a couple of times a week, Podolski — who has 95 international caps — returns to the pitches where he first kicked a ball to watch the local team which plays in the ninth tier of German football.
Podolski looks incredibly proud as he tells Sunsport of the improvements he has made to this once run-down sports centre.
These trips will become infrequent when he becomes Arsene Wenger's latest signing.
Yet he smiles when I tell him that the Emirates is slightly bigger than the ground which uses his name. He breaks into a major grin when I mention the prospect of him playing alongside Robin Van Persie.
In Cologne, where he is known as Prince Poldi, the striker is mobbed wherever he goes.
But here in Bergheim, a town of 60,000 near the borders with Belgium and Holland, Podolski appears a genuine, fun-loving lad.
And the welfare of FC Bergheim 2000 has become a major passion. He not only attends training sessions, but he helps the manager select new players while they discuss team tactics.
Podoslki, understandably, had to avoid speaking about his imminent move to Arsenal as it has yet to be officially announced — even though it is football's worst-kept secret and will be confirmed within 10 days.
But he was happy for his two closest friends in football to chat about why he should be a major success at the Emirates.
Podolski's priority, though, was to tell me about this complex which means so much.
He said: "Look at this astroturf pitch. It was an ash surface but I had it re-laid. There is also a junior pitch over there (he points again) with the same astroturf.
"As for the main football pitch, it have had it re-laid with grass and now it looks very good. Also the changing room and things like that.
"If they need new flooring or showers, the club ring me and I make a phone call. If they need new balls or kit, I ring adidas.
"I lived two minutes from this area and I love this football centre. I biked here every day after school and played with my friends until 10pm in the evening. This was my life.
"It is only 50 minutes in the car from Cologne. My friends play here and I am always here. On Sunday, if I do not play for Cologne, I am here, having fun, eating food with my friends.
"This is normal for me. Everyone knows me here and it's nice."
As a couple of youngsters walk past, Podolski added: "My big interest is also the junior team. We are looking for the new Podolski. Why not?
"I was lucky to have a coach who gave me a chance to play in Cologne's first team. When I was 10 I knew I was good but was not sure if I was playing in the the first team.
"The dream was to be as good as Ronaldo. And in 2005, I played against him and Brazil in the Confederation Cup — that was some moment and we changed shirts.
"I am lucky to have now played in some major tournaments — and now I have another one coming up."
This was interesting stuff from Podolski. Not bad for a bloke who 10 minutes earlier, gave me a firm 'no' when asked whether he spoke any English.
As for swapping shirts, Podolski laughs when reminded of his picture leaving the pitch in an Arsenal top after a pre-season friendly last summer.
He said: "Yes, I got an Arsenal shirt last summer but there was no name on the back. And yes, of course I like English football. It is like Germany, that's why."
Wearing a white adidas top with the hood pulled over his head, he proved to be camera shy.
Yet after a kickabout with two mates, he snatched the camera from my photographer and spent the next 30 minutes taking pictures of the local team training.
After returning the equipment, he asked for a CD of the pictures so he could email them around to the team of part-timers.
Ingo Haselbach, 42, is the manager of Bergheim.
He said: "I speak with Lukas every day. We look at players together and we decide what is best for the team. Lukas is Lukas. He is a fantastic person.
"He comes once or twice a week. If he is not playing for Cologne, then he comes to watch our team.
"Lukas puts so much into this. Normally, it is only when a player is 36 he comes back.
"He is Germany's number one player and here at Bergheim is a special place for him. It is a holy place."
Hardly surprisingly, his move to Arsenal is not exactly a secret around these parts.
Haselbach added: "When he joins Arsenal, he will play with the heart and I think the supporters will love that."
Podolski's oldest friend in football is Cologne coach Willie Breuer.
Although still a highly-respected Cologne, the 57-year-old has been persuaded by Podolski to drive to Bergheim twice a week to coach youngsters.
Breuer said: "I have known Lukas since he was 10. Best of all, Lukas has not changed at all since he made his debut for Cologne and broke into the German team.
"We are close. When Lukas came back to Cologne from Bayern Munich, he asked me to give him some special training sessions.
"It is also good that he will go to the Premier League. We spoke six months ago about moving there. I told him he would be a success.
"He is fast and physically strong and Arsenal will be a good move. The Premier League will help Lukas get even better. And I am sure Lukas will be a good fit with Van Persie."
Breuer than hopes he will get the chance to watch Arsenal.
And having seen the generosity of his most famous protégée, Breuer will not be struggling for an Emirates ticket next season.
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