20. Javier Mascherano

Position: Midfielder
Squad number: 20
Date of birth: 08.06.84.
Birth place: San Lorenzo, Argentina
Former clubs: River Plate, Corinthians, West Ham United
Transfer fee: Loan

Argentine international Javier Mascherano is a product of River Plate’s youth academy, one of South America’s most successful clubs.

The defensive midfielder’s impact in the youth team was so great that he was called up to the national squad before kicking a single ball for the River Plate first team, facing Uruguay in July 2003.

Mascherano enjoyed success at an international level whilst at River Plate, featuring in Argentina’s 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship squad, collecting a runner-up medal in the Copa America and scooping gold with Argentina’s 2004 Olympic squad.

Several ‘top player’ accolades, as well as his reputation for excellent passing and causing problems for the opposition’s offence, began to gain him recognition abroad but River Plate refused to sell the player.

Following the successful Olympic run and a less than successful league campaign for River Plate, Mascherano transferred to Brazilian giants Corinthians in 2005 for a fee of around £7.5m.

Unfortunately for the young midfielder, life in Brazil would be prove to be a turbulent affair. Joining Corinthians mid-season, Masche managed just nine games before a foot injury ruled him out for the rest of the calendar. Corinthians still managed to lift the Serie A Championship with the help of fellow Argentine Carlos Tevez, but Mascherano was not to return to action until March 2006.

The 2006 World Cup in Germany was Mascherano’s next challenge, a tournament he handled with aplomb- playing every minute for his national side and exhibiting his considerable talent on the international stage.

Although the cream of European club football were eyeing the player up, Masherano insisted his future was with Corinthians.

Then, just hours before the transfer deadline, Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez hit the headlines when it was unexpectedly announced that the pair were to join West Ham United for the start of the 2006-2007 season. This was a surprise to most of the football world, considering that the top-quality players had been tipped for a move to some of Europe’s elite sides.

The transfers ignited controversy after it emerged that some of the details had been left out of the official records, landing West Ham with a world record £5.5m fine from the FA, narrowly escaping a points deduction that could have seen them relegated. The Hammers, it was ruled, broke one of the rules regarding players being owned by third parties- a common practice in South America, but frowned upon in the UK.

Unhappy with life at struggling West Ham and despite his high profile, barely featuring in the first team’s starting line-up, Mascherano began to look elsewhere to continue his career after just six months in London.

Liverpool beckoned and although FIFA rules state that a player can play for no more than two clubs in a year, Mascherano became a Red on the 10th of February 2007, with the Premier League accepting the registration ten days later.

Wearing the number 20 shirt, Mascherano made his debut in a 4-0 victory against Sheffield United. Proving himself as a consistent Champions League and domestic player, he was soon a regular in Rafa Benitez’s side, holding his own against the talent of Steven Gerrard and Momo Sissoko.