Bengaluru, January 9: Most of the footballers either during their playing career or after hanging up the boots invest their time and money to be in football management, punditry or to start a business to sustain a similar life after professional football.

Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville etc all have already ventured into business with the likes of clothing brand or hotels business etc.

And now on this list, another popular name makes the headlines after former Gunners cult hero Lukas Podolski opened a new business venture in his hometown of Cologne with a kebab shop in the trendy Chlodwigplatz district to add to the clothing store and the ice cream parlour he already has in his business portfolio.

Podolski currently plays in Japan with Vissel Kobe but rose to fame while he was in the FC Köln academy. He spent 14 long years at the club before being snatched away by Arsene Wenger to Arsenal in 2012.

The World Cup winner with Germany is still a much-loved figure in western Germany and when last Saturday the player inaugurated the Kabab shop, thousands of fans lined up in the queue to see their beloved player as well as to have the food.

The restaurant is named Mangal Doner and while addressing the opening of the shop rather than some established venture in his native, Podolski said he wanted to start something simple thus such an idea came to his mind.

"Ideas just come - I don't even really have a business plan right now," Podolski admitted on the opening night, as quoted by Deutsche Welle. "Opening a five-star restaurant isn't my style - I'm not the type that wears a suit."

Podolski is currently having a great time at the Japanese side where he has already scored five goals in 12 appearances.

Before moving to the J1 League, he played for top European guns like Galatasaray, Inter Milan, Arsenal, FC Koln and Bayern Munich where he scored 178 goals, winning two league titles and one domestic trophy.

However, he is mostly recognized as a legend of German national football team where he has made 130 appearances, scoring 49 goals and winning the 2014 World Cup.