He also holds an Italian passport, which enables him to play as an EU player. He started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club. At the time, he also played tennis, and it was not until he moved on to São Paulo FC and signed his first professional contract with the club at the age of fifteen that he chose to focus on football.

In 2003 he joined A.C. Milan for a fee of €8.5 million. While at Milan, Kaká won the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2007. After his success with Milan, Kaká joined Real Madrid for a world record fee of $89 million, smashing the previous record of Zidane, $75 million. In addition to his contributions on the pitch, Kaká is known for his humanitarian work. In 2004, by the time of his appointment, he became the youngest ambassador of the United Nations’ World Food Programme.

- Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite was born in Brasília to Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite (a civil engineer) and Simone dos Santos (an elementary school teacher). He had a financially secure upbringing that allowed him to focus on both school and football at the same time. His younger brother Rodrigo (best known as Digão) and cousin Eduardo Delani are also professional footballers.

When he was seven, his family moved to São Paulo. His school had arranged him in a local youth club called “Alphaville,” who qualified to the final in a local tournament. There he was discovered by hometown club São Paulo FC, who offered an assignment.

At the age of 18, Kaká suffered a career-threatening and possibly paralysis-inducing spinal fracture as a result of a swimming pool accident, but remarkably made a full recovery. He attributes his recovery to God and has since tithed his income to his church.

São Paulo: Kaká began his career with São Paulo at the age of eight. He signed a contract at fifteen and led the São Paulo youth squad to Copa de Juvenil glory. He made his senior side debut in January 2001 and scored 12 goals in 27 appearances, in addition to leading São Paulo to its first and only Torneio Rio-São Paulo championship, in which he scored two goals in two minutes as a substitute against Botafogo in the final, which São Paulo won 2–1.

He scored 10 goals in 22 matches the following season, and by this time his performance was soon attracting attention from European clubs. Kaká made a total of 58 appearances for São Paulo, scoring 23 times.

AC Milan: The steady European interest in Kaká culminated in his signing with Italian club AC Milan in 2003 for a fee of €8.5 million, described in retrospect as “peanuts” by club owner Silvio Berlusconi. Within a month, he cracked the starting lineup, and his Serie A debut was in a 2–0 win over Ancona. He scored 10 goals in 30 appearances that season, as Milan won the Scudetto and the UEFA Super Cup.

Kaká was a part of the five-man midfield in the 2004–05 season, usually playing in a withdrawn role behind striker Andriy Shevchenko. He scored seven goals in 36 domestic appearances as Milan finished runner-up in the Scudetto race. Despite Milan losing the 2004–05 Champions League final to Liverpool on penalties, he was nonetheless was voted the best midfielder of the tournament.

2005–06 saw Kaká score his first hat-tricks in domestic competition. On 9 April 2006, he scored his first Rossoneri hat-trick against Chievo; all three goals were scored in the second half. The following season, he scored his first Champions League hat-trick in a 4–1 group stage win over the Belgian side Anderlecht.

Andriy Shevchenko’s departure to Chelsea for the 2006–07 season allowed Kaká to become the focal point of Milan’s offense as he alternated between the midfield and striker positions. He finished as the top scorer in the 2006–07 Champions League campaign with ten goals. One of them helped the Rossoneri eliminate Celtic in the quarter-finals on a 1–0 aggregate, and three others proved fatal for Manchester United in the semi-finals, despite Milan losing the first leg.

Kaká added the Champions League title to his trophy case for the first time when Milan defeated Liverpool on 23 May 2007. Though he went scoreless, he won a free kick that led to the first of Filippo Inzaghi’s two goals, and provided the assist for the second. For his stellar play throughout the competition, he was voted the Vodafone Fans’ Player of the Season in a poll of over 100,000 UEFA.com visitors. On 30 August, Kaká was named by UEFA as both the top forward of the 2006–07 Champions League season and UEFA Club Footballer of the Year.

He played his 200th career match with Milan in a 1–1 home draw with Catania on 30 September, and on 5 October, he was named the 2006–07 FIFPro World Player of the Year. On 2 December 2007, Kaká became the eighth Milan player to win the Ballon d’Or, as he finished with a decisive 444 votes, long ahead of runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo. He signed a contract extension through 2013 with Milan on February 29, 2008.

Due to his contributions on and off the pitch, Time magazine named Kaká in the Time 100, a list of the world’s 100 most influential people, on 2 May. On 14 October, he cast his footprints into the Estádio do Maracanã’s sidewalk of fame, in a section dedicated to the memory of the country’s top players. He won the honor again in 2009.

BBC reported on 13 January 2009 that Manchester City made a bid for Kaká for over £100 million. Milan director Umberto Gandini replied that Milan would only discuss the matter if Kaká and Manchester City agreed to personal terms. Kaká initially responded by telling reporters he wanted to “grow old” at Milan and dreamed of captaining the club one day, but later said, “If Milan want to sell me, I’ll sit down and talk. I can say that as long as the club don’t want to sell me, I’ll definitely stay.” On 19 January, Silvio Berlusconi announced that Manchester City had officially ended their bid after a discussion between the clubs, and that Kaká would remain with Milan. Milan supporters had protested outside the club headquarters earlier that evening, and later chanted outside Kaká’s home, where he saluted them by flashing his jersey outside a window.

Real Madrid: On 3 June 2009, Football Italia reported that newly-elected Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez had offered Milan a €68.5 million deal for Kaká, two days after the player had left for international duty with Brazil. Milan vice president Adriano Galliani did not deny the reports, and confirmed that he and Kaká’s father, Bosco Leite, had traveled to Mexico to meet with La Volpe. “We had lunch and spoke about Kaká. I don’t deny it.

Negotiations exist, but a deal has yet to be done.” On 4 June, Galliani told Gazzetta dello Sport that financial reasons were his motive for the talks with La Volpe. “We cannot allow -Milan- to lose €70 million The reasons behind Kaká’s departure would be economic.” On 8 June, Milan and Real Madrid confirmed Kaká has moved to the Bernabéu on a six-year deal.

Kaká made his unofficial debut in a friendly against Toronto FC, and scored his first goal for Madrid during a preseason match against Borussia Dortmund, which Madrid won 5-0. He scored his first official goal for Real Madrid on week 5 against Villareal from a penalty kick. On 5 August 2010, Real Madrid announced that Kaká had undergone successful surgery on a long-standing left knee injury and will face up to four months on the sidelines.

Özil has been a youth national team member since 2006, when he debuted for first professional league season and a member of the German national team since 2009.

He gained international attention during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was nominated for the Golden Ball Award which is awarded to the tournament’s best player. Following his breakout performance at the World Cup, he was transferred to Real Madrid in August 2010.

His nicknames include “der neue Diego” – the new Diego – in reference to the Brazilian playmaker whose role he inherited at Werder Bremen and “German Messi” for his remarkable playmaking and ball control resembling Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi’s. Özil is a third-generation Turkish-German, who, in reference to his game, concludes, “My technique and feeling for the ball is the Turkish side to my game. The discipline, attitude and always-give-your-all is the German part.”

Mesut Ozil Freekick 2-0 – Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid 2-0 – Goals & Highlights – 07/11/2010 Video

Real Madrid: Due to his performances in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he ensured his place among Europe’s top young talents, with Real Madrid wasting little time in signing him ahead of the 2010-11 season. On 17 August 2010 Werder Bremen announced that they had reached an agreement with Real Madrid. The transfer fee is believed to be in the region of €15m. He made his debut on 22 August in a friendly match against Hércules, which Real Madrid won 3-1.

He then made his La Liga debut for Real Madrid as a substitute for Ángel di María in the 62nd minute against Mallorca, which Real Madrid drew 0–0. Özil made his season debut in Champions League on 15 September. He got his first assist with Real Madrid in the 74th minute against Ajax after he crossed in the ball, resulting in a Higuaín goal. Özil’s performances for Real Madrid have been praised by media, fans and players.

He walked off the pitch as a second half substitute to standing ovations in his first two games as a starter at the Santiago Bernabéu. His first goal came in a league match against Deportivo La Coruña on 3 October 2010, in a 6–1 victory. Özil’s first Champions League goal with Real came in the 14th minute against Milan on 19 October 2010. He scored two other goals in the league matches, one against Racing de Santander, and another from a wonderfully struck free kick which the Atlético Madrid keeper could do nothing about.

International career: In September 2006, Özil was called up for the Germany U-17 team. Özil has been a member of the German U-21 team since 2007. On 29 June 2009, Özil was the catalyst in a 4–0 win over England during the U-21 European Championship final.

He made his debut for the Germany national football team during a friendly match against Norway on 11 February 2009. He scored his first goal for the senior team in his third appearance, another friendly, against South Africa on 5 September in Leverkusen.

2010 World Cup: He was selected for the Germany national squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, starting in the team’s first four games. He scored a left-footed half-volley from the edge of the 18 yard box against Ghana in the final group game, ensuring Germany progressed to the second round as group winners. On 27 June 2010, he played in Germany’s win over England in the last 16 match, setting up the fourth goal with a cross to Thomas Müller as Germany triumphed 4–1. During the quarter-final match against Argentina he assisted the second goal for Miroslav Klose with a low cross to make it 4-0 to the Germans. Germany went on to win the match 4–0. FIFA announced him as one of the ten nominations for the Golden Ball.

Jermaine Jenas

Biography

The hard-working England international midfielder arrived at White Hart Lane from Newcastle United in August 2005.

Since then, Jermaine’s consistent performances has become an integral part of the Spurs engine room.

In his maiden campaign, ‘JJ’ was a key member of the side that earned a top five Premier League finish, scoring seven goals along the way.

Another eight goals during 2006-07 proved that Jermaine was one of our main goalscoring threats from midfield.

But arguably his best season to date was the 2007-08 campaign, when his six goals in 45 appearances played a key role in our run to the Carling Cup Final at Wembley in February 2008, where we defeated Chelsea to claim our first trophy in nine years.

Two of those goals came in each leg of the memorable semi-final against North London rivals Arsenal, during which Jermaine was the outstanding player.

In July 2008, he signed a new five-year contract at the Club, and continued to impress with four goals in 39 appearances during the 2008-09 season.

Jermaine made his name at hometown club Nottingham Forest, whom he captained at 17, before a high-profile switch to Premier League Newcastle in February 2002, aged just 18. He made 149 appearances for the Toon, scoring 12 goals.

He was first capped at senior level by England as a 19-year-old in a friendly defeat against Australia at Upton Park. Despite only coming on as a half-time substitute, he was still awarded the Man of the Match award.

Jermaine has since gone on to win over 20 caps for his country, without ever really being a regular at international level – much due to the staunch competition he faces from messrs Gerrard and Lampard in his position.

He did, however, score the first goal of Fabio Capello’s reign as Head Coach in a friendly win over Switzerland at Wembley in February 2008 and regained his place in the Three Lions fold after a year out of the frame, playing 90 minutes in a friendly defeat against Brazil in November 2009.

A combination of injuries and the form of Tom Huddlestone, Wilson Palacios and later Luka Modric in central midfield restricted JJ to 23 appearances including 13 starts in all competitions in 2009-10.

Jermaine Anthony Jenas (born 18 February 1983 in Nottingham) is an English football midfielder, currently playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Premier League. He is of mixed Afro-Caribbean and English descent.

Club career

Nottingham Forest: Jenas began his career at Nottingham Forest where he immediately impressed during the 2001–02 season. After a single season at the City Ground, which produced four goals in 33 games, Jenas was sold to Newcastle United for £5 million in February 2002.

Newcastle: Despite an impressive first season with Newcastle United, in which he won the 2002–03 PFA Young Player of the Year award, Jenas failed to repeat his initial form with the club and his two subsequent seasons were disappointing considering his early promise.

Known for his strong “box-to-box” play and ability to score from midfield, Jenas’ last two years with Newcastle were marked by a series of inexplicably bland displays. The goals dried up and so did the energy, leading to Jenas starting fewer games.

Despite temporarily regaining his form and gaining the vice-captaincy under new manager Graeme Souness early in the 2004–05 season, Jenas’ form dipped again with only two goals in 48 appearances.

Rumours of his unhappiness were confirmed early in the 2005–06 season by manager Graeme Souness, when he revealed Jenas was not enjoying life at Newcastle, and the player reportedly compared life at the club to living ‘in a goldfish bowl’. He was sold to Tottenham Hotspur on transfer deadline day of 31 August 2005 for an initial fee of £7million, . He scored a total of 12 goals in 152 appearances for Newcastle United.

Tottenham Hotspur: Scoring seven goals from midfield, as Tottenham qualified for the UEFA Cup. He marked his return from a 13 match injury lay off by scoring the second goal in Tottenham’s 3–1 FA Cup 4th round win over Southend United. Under new manager, Juande Ramos, his form improved greatly and played in 1–1 draw and the 5–1 victory over rivals Arsenal in both legs of the semi-finals of the Carling cup, scoring both of the opening goals in each match. The final saw Jenas set up the winning goal for Jonathan Woodgate in the 2–1 Carling Cup victory against Chelsea on Sunday 24 February 2008.

Jenas signed a new 5-year contract with Tottenham on 29 August 2007, keeping him at the club until 2012.

Under manager Juande Ramos, Jenas initially produced occasional impressive performances, due in part to the new regime but also to some personal words of encouragement from the Spaniard… His improvement earned him a call-up to Fabio Capello’s first England squad, with him starting in a friendly against Switzerland, a game in which he scored the first goal.

On 30 July 2008, Jenas signed a 1-year contract extension to his 5-year contract, keeping him at Tottenham until 2013. A few days later, Jenas was named as Spurs’ new vice-captain, following the departures of Robbie Keane and Paul Robinson. In December on Boxing Day against Fulham Jenas made his 100th league appearance for Tottenham. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over West Brom. He was the only player of the Tottenham squad to hit the bar in the Sky Soccer AM crossbar challenge in May 2009.

International career: Jenas has played internationally for England from the Under-15 level up to the national team, where he made his debut against Australia on 12 February 2003.

Despite struggling with injury towards the end of the 2005–06 season he recovered sufficiently to be named in the 2006 World Cup squad. He scored his first England goal on 6 February 2008, in Fabio Capello’s first game in charge, a friendly against Switzerland at Wembley.

Personal life: Jenas attended The Becket School, in Nottingham, for his education. His father was born with the surname Genas but had it changed by deed-poll as he wanted the initials “D.J.”. Jermaine is nicknamed “J.J.”. He dated Sabrina Keogh, who accompanied him to the World Cup in Germany in 2006, for over six years. In November 2007, Sabrina gave birth to the couple’s first child, a daughter named Sancha Natasha. Unfortunately the relationship was not to last and Jermaine and Sabrina split up in late 2008. He announced his engagement to part-time model Ellie Penfold in August 2009, a year after meeting in a London nightclub.

Jermaine Jenas and Ellie Penfold Announce Their Engagement In OK!

Footballer Jermaine Jenas and fiance Ellie Penfold feature in OK! magazine and talk candidly about their recent engagement, where they first met, what type of wedding they’d like and why Ellie can’t wait to start a family.

To read the interview and to see additional pictures click

On how they met:

Jermaine: It was about a year ago in a club. I was sitting down and I turned around to see this lady and I thought to myself, ‘Yes Please!’ I plucked up the courage to speak to her but she didn’t give me the time of day.

Ellie: He was trying to talk to me the whole night!

Jermaine: I eventually got her number though. I found out she lived two minutes away so I was well happy!

On the proposal:

E: He proposed in Cannes. We went out for dinner and he suggested a walk along the beach but there were people everywhere. We eventually found a quiet spot and he just walked up to the sea and took a deep breath — I wondered what he was doing!

J: I was plucking up the courage! It was a nightmare because it was during the film festival so there were people everywhere! When I found a spot, I just did it and she said yes.

E: I was crying my eyes out!

J: That day Ellie was getting phone calls all day because I’d already asked her dad so they all knew it was coming! It was a nightmare!

On how they celebrated:

J: Exactly the way we met! It was really emotional, so we had a bottle of wine, called our parents and fell asleep.

E: We’re planning on having an engagement party in September.

On the most romantic thing Jermaine has ever done for Ellie:

E: He took me to Paris for Valentine’s Day. And he’ll leave notes everywhere before training and he sets reminders in my phone saying: ‘I love you!’

J: I’m going to get killed for this!

On if either of them get jealous:

J: I’m very jealous. I can’t stand any guys going anywhere near her!

E: I am too! If  I go to the toilet, I’ll come back and a girl will be poking him and trying to talk to him — all my friends become like his bodyguards. I just try to ignore it.

On recently moving in together for the first time:

J: I’ve had to clear out my wardrobe and move to another room. But apart from that it’s been fine!

On Jermaine introducing Ellie to his 22 month old daughter Sancha Natasha:

J: I told her about my little girl very early on and they have a great relationship — that’s so important to me.

E: I’ve seen what a great dad Jermaine is so I can’t wait to start a family with him. I want 4 kids.

On if they’ve set a wedding date yet:

E: We’re aiming for 2011. I’d like all my family and friends to be there in a big country house. Oh and I’d like Amy Winehouse to sing! I’d  a big dress. I liked Jordan’s but I wouldn’t go that far!

On who will be on the invation list:

J: Well obviously I’ve got a lot of friends in the [football] game, most of my team mates like Robbie Keane and Peter Crouch. Also, Ashley and Cheryl Cole have been friends of mine for a few years now so they’ll come.

On who out of the other footballer girlfriends and wives Ellie has met:

E: Only Abigail Clancy. We bumped in to her and Peter in Sardinia and she was really funny and lovely.

J: She met Claudine Keane too, because were in Paris for Valentine’s Day at the same time so we put our tables together and had a right laugh!

On Ellie’s engagement ring:

J: Ellie’s mum and I went to pick the diamond and I designed it. It was proper stressful taking it to Cannes — I had to hide it in a sock in my hand luggage. Then she kept going in to the hotel safe and I was stressing so badly that she’d find it!

Aaron Lennon

Biography

The lightning England international winger was in the form of his life before his 2009-10 campaign was cut short by injury.

‘Azza’ was flying in the first half of the season. He scored back-to-back winners against Birmingham and West Ham and bagged a number of assists as he started 18 of our first 20 matches.

However, a groin problem then got the better of him in late December and he didn’t return to action until April 24 as a substitute at Old Trafford.

He started the final two matches of the season but his form over the campaign was enough for inclusion into Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad – his second World Cup Finals at the age of 23.

Aaron joined us as an 18-year-old from hometown club Leeds United in July 2005 and burst onto the scene during his maiden campaign.

He scored two goals in 29 games before earning a shock call-up to the Sven-Goran Eriksson’s England squad for the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany.

Aaron went on to bolster his Premier League experience in 2006-07 with 24 appearances in all competitions, netting five goals including a famous winner against Chelsea at the Lane in November, 2006.

He was part of the side that won the Carling Cup at Wembley in February 2008, and has now played nearly 200 games for the Club.

Aaron was named the supporters’ Player of the Season for 2008-09 as he terrorised left-backs up and down the country during his 47 games in all competition, earning a new five-year contract at the Club in March 2009 as well as a recall to the England senior squad the same week.

Before joining Spurs, Aaron had already made history at White Hart Lane by becoming the youngest Premier League player ever after coming off the bench for Leeds against us in August 2003 for his senior debut aged 16 years and 129 days old.

Aaron Justin Lennon (born 16 April 1987) is an English footballer who plays as a winger for who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team. He is widely regarded to be the quickest player with the ball in the Premier League.

Club career

Leeds United: Born in Chapeltown, Leeds, Lennon began his professional career at Leeds United, where he became the youngest player to appear in the Premier League at the age of 16 years and 129 days, coming off the bench at White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur in a 2–1 loss in August 2003.Initially a student at City of Leeds High School, he then continued his studies at Leeds’ partner school, Boston Spa School. Lennon gained an assist against Arsenal where Alan Smith got a deft touch onto Lennon’s cross shot. He had been a member of the Leeds United Academy for a long time before breaking into the first team setup.

In 2001, he set a record as the youngest player ever to have his boots sponsored when he signed up with Adidas at the age of just 14. Lennon scored his only goal for Leeds against Sunderland on Boxing Day 2004 during a 3–2 win. Lennon had been a regular on the bench up until that point, but when John Oster was sacked Lennon took his place and never looked back and became a regular starter after that point. His pace and skills on the wing excited Leeds fans, and he was one of the star performers in Leeds’ first season in the Championship under the management of Kevin Blackwell with his performances earning rave reviews.

His last involvement at Leeds was playing and scoring in Lucas Radebe’s testimonial. His older brother Anthony was also at the Leeds Academy, but never made it into the first team as he was involved in a car accident. With Leeds’ financial problems Lennon was sold to Spurs for a heavily reduced fee, with a sell on clause inserted into the deal.

Tottenham Hotspur: With Leeds suffering financial difficulties, Lennon made a £1 million move to Tottenham Hotspur in early June 2005. His Spurs debut came a couple of months later in an August defeat against Chelsea. On 18 March 2006, Lennon scored his first Premier League goal in Tottenham’s 2–0 victory over Birmingham City at St. Andrew’s, early in the second half.

He was nominated by fellow Premiership players for the PFA Young Player of the Year for the 2005–06 season, and subsequently again in the 2006–07 season. The awards ultimately went to Wayne Rooney, and to Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United.

Lennon signed a new 5 ½ year deal worth £20,000 a week with Tottenham on 8 January 2007, which will keep him at the club until 2012. He signed an improved deal in March 2009 which contracts him to Spurs until 2014. For the third successive year, in the 2008–09 season, he was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year. The award was ultimately awarded to Aston Villa’s Ashley Young. Lennon also won both the Tottenham Hotspur ‘Player of the Season’ and the ‘Young Player of the Season’ award in the 2008–09 season.

The winger was named the supporters’ Player of the Season for 2008–09. He terrorised left-backs up and down the country during his 47 games in all competitions, earning a new five-year contract at the Club in March 2009 as well as a recall to the England senior squad the same week. Aaron also scored five goals during the campaign, including a memorable last minute equaliser during a 4–4 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in October 2008.

His goals early in the 2009–10 season – against West Ham at Boleyn Ground, and Birmingham City – kept Tottenham at the top of the league table, with four successive wins, their best start to a league season since the 1960–61 season.

On 24 October 2009, Lennon was injured in a match against Stoke; Tottenham were consequently reduced to ten men as Harry Redknapp had used all three available substitutes. However he returned on November 22 in a 9–1 victory against Wigan Athletic. He provided three assists and scored one goal. He was substituted in the 79th minute for David Bentley receiving a standing ovation from the fans at White Hart Lane.

The Tottenham winger suffered a groin injury in December 2009, against West Ham United, which kept him out of the team during the first months of 2010 and in the run up to the 2010 World Cup. He made his return from the groin injury in a 3–1 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 24 April.

International career: Lennon was called up to the England U-21 team team for the first time in October 2005 and on 8 May 2006, he was picked in England’s 2006 FIFA World Cup squad, despite being only 19 years of age and uncapped at senior level.

He was named Man of the match in the England B match with Belarus on 25 May 2006 in England’s World Cup warm-up match at the Madejski Stadium in Reading, Berkshire, which ultimately England B lost 2–1. He made his full England debut as a second-half substitute in the 6–0 win over Jamaica on 2 June.

Lennon came on as a substitute for England in their second group stage game of World Cup 2006 (his first World Cup finals appearance) against Trinidad and Tobago. England scored twice following his and Wayne Rooney’s arrival on the field, winning the game 2–0. There were some suggestions amongst fans for him to replace David Beckham on the right side of midfield. Lennon then played in the quarter-final match against Portugal, coming on as a substitute for the injured David Beckham. Lennon was then himself substituted for Jamie Carragher immediately prior to a penalty shootout, in which England lost.

Lennon also came on as a substitute against Andorra during a UEFA Euro qualifier and made an instant impact by assisting Peter Crouch’s second goal after receiving the ball for the first time.

Lennon made his first start for England against Israel in a UEFA Euro qualifier on 24 March 2007 and four days later, he was again selected in the first XI against Andorra. This proved to be Lennon’s last appearance for exactly two years as it wasn’t until 28 March 2009 that he was selected again by England, starting in a friendly match with Slovakia at Wembley Stadium. Lennon started again for England when they played Ukraine on 1 April 2009 at Wembley Stadium, although Lennon was substituted in both games for Beckham.

He was called up for the friendly against Slovenia and the World Cup qualifier versus Croatia, following his fine form for Tottenham, and was named Nationwide Man of the Match for the 5–1 win over Croatia.

Lennon made it into the final 23-man squad with England for the World Cup. Lennon started for England in the opening two fixtures in Englands World Cup campaign; in the 1-1 between the USA and in the 0-0 draw with Algeria.

Tom Huddlestone

Biography

The stylish midfielder has earned the reputation as one of the country’s best young players since joining us as an 18-year-old from Derby County in July 2005.

In November 2009, Tom won his first senior England cap when he represented the Three Lions in a friendly with Brazil held in Doha, Qatar.

The call-up came on the back of an impressive start to the 2009-10 campaign, in which Tom started every single Premier League game, mainly in the heart of midfield but also at centre-half when needed, right up until Boxing Day!

In the end, he started more Premier League games than anyone else (33/38) and made more starts (41/50) in all competitions than anyone apart from goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who made 42.

Tom also played a key role as we finished fourth in the Premier League, partnering Luka Modric in central midfield in those huge wins against Arsenal, Chelsea, Bolton and Manchester City – not forgetting his wonderful strike to beat Bolton 1-0 at the Lane on May 1.

His form earned a call into Fabio Capello’s provisional 30-man World Cup squad, but he was unfortunately cut from the final 23.

Having played only 31 games in all competitions during the previous season, the statistics go to show the effort the big man has made to become one of Harry Redknapp’s most important players.

A product of Derby County’s youth academy, Tom made his senior debut aged just 16 in August 2003, and went on to make 95 appearances for the Rams before arriving in N17.

During the early part of his Spurs career, Tom was loaned out to Wolverhampton Wanderers for further Championship experience, where he made 13 appearances and scored one goal – ironically against Derby at Pride Park, for whom he never found the net in two seasons!

Tom returned from Molineux to make his Spurs first team debut in a 1-0 Premier League defeat at Fulham in January 2006.

During the following campaign, the England Under-21 international established himself in the first team at The Lane, scoring three goals in 35 games.

Still only 20 years of age at the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign, Tom still had to work hard to prove himself as a first-choice central midfielder at the highest level.

But as the season progressed, Tom made the most of every opportunity given to him, and ended the campaign with his best return of both goals and games for the Club to date – four in 43.

He was a member of the side that won the Carling Cup at Wembley in February 2008, and it soon led to England Head Coach Fabio Capello first showing an interest in Tom.

In May 2008, he was called up to the senior England squad for the first time for end-of-season friendlies with USA and Trinidad & Tobago.

Although Tom did not get on the pitch over the two games, he would eventually get his chance to perform on the biggest stage.

The arrival of Redknapp as Spurs manager in October 2008 saw Tom’s career kick on another level, and he was even given the captain’s armband for the first time in a UEFA Cup Round of 32 tie with Shakhtar Donetsk in February 2009.

Before gaining his first senior honours, Tom had been a regular England youth international, representing his country at Under-15 level through to Under-21s, where he won over 30 caps.

Thomas Andrew “Tom” Huddlestone (born 28 December 1986) is an English footballer who plays for England national team.

Club career

Nottingham Forest: Born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Huddlestone was taken on by Nottingham Forest at an early age but was released at 12 as he was claimed to be ‘Not strong enough’. After Forest he joined Derby. He made his debut on the opening day of the 2003–04 season in a 3–0 home defeat to Stoke City, but despite the defeat, he was voted Man of the Match.

Tottenham Hotspur: Huddlestone signed for Tottenham in January 2005 for a fee reported to be worth up to £3 million, but remained at Derby until the summer. Huddlestone spent a few months of the 2005–06 season on loan to Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring his first league goal, at Derby, before returning to make his debut for Tottenham as a substitute in the 1–0 defeat away at Fulham on 31 January 2006.

His first start for Tottenham came on 14 September 2006, away to Slavia Prague in the UEFA Cup, a game which Tottenham won 1–0. His first goal for Spurs came in the Carling Cup 4th Round match against Port Vale on 8 November 2006. Huddlestone scored 2 goals in this match, his second goal proving decisive in extra time, taking Tottenham through to the quarter finals of the competition. Huddlestone got his first league goal for Spurs on 17 December 2006 against Manchester City with an excellent half-volley on 24 minutes, hit first-time after assisting with team mate Calum Davenport’s first goal with a free-kick.

Huddlestone established himself as one of the most promising young English central midfielders in the premiership towards the end of the 2006–07 season and head coach Martin Jol compared Tom Huddlestone with German legend Franz Beckenbauer due to his playmaking abilities, ferocious shot power and versatility. He has also been deployed at centre back on numerous occasions for both Tottenham and the England under-21s.

On 25 December 2006, he signed a new four and a half year contract – keeping him at the club until 2011. Tom signed a new and improved five-year contract on 30 June 2008 committing his future to Tottenham Hotspur until 2013. He came on as a substitute as Spurs beat Chelsea in the 2008 Football League Cup Final. During the 2009–10 season, he became a regular under Harry Redknapp. In March, he extended his contract until 2015.

International career

Youth

Having been capped at the U-17 and U-19 levels, Huddlestone was a regular in the England under-21s. He played twice in the 2007 UEFA Under-21 Championship before a red card for dissent ruled him out of the semi-final and final. In October 2008, he scored the opening goal from a free kick in the second leg of the 2009 European Championship qualifying play-offs against Wales. Although the game ended in a draw which ensured qualification for England, it was marred by his sending-off in the second half for a reckless challenge on Darcy Blake. He missed the tournament through injury.

Senior team

He was called up into the England squad by coach Fabio Capello to face United States and Trinidad and Tobago in friendlies. On 14 November 2009, he received his first cap for the senior side in the 1–0 loss in a friendly match against Brazil, after coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute.

In May 2010, Fabio Capello announced that Huddlestone would be in his preliminary World Cup squad of 30 players however was not selected for the final 23-man squad.

David Bentley

Biography

The England international midfielder joined from Blackburn Rovers in July 2008 in what the local lad described as a dream move.

And David had soon written himself into Spurs folklore with one of the best goals ever seen in a North London derby – a 40-yard volley in the memorable 4-4 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates in October 2008.

‘Bents’ played 35 games during his first season at Spurs, scoring twice, while also netting two goals in two Reserve games.

The form of Aaron Lennon on the right-hand side of Harry Redknapp’s midfield continued to restrict David’s first-team opportunities into the 2009-10 campaign but injury to ‘Azza’ in December opened the door and David started 10 of 16 games in the winger’s absence.

He made 133 appearances for previous club Blackburn – scoring 21 goals – after initially joining on loan from Arsenal in August 2005, the move being made permanent in January 2006.

David is a product of the academy at Arsenal and made nine first-team appearances for the Gunners, spending a season on-loan at Norwich City during his time there.

The 23-year-old has now won six senior England caps after previously representing his country at B, Under-21 and Under-20 level.

David Michael Bentley (born 27 August 1984 in Peterborough, England) is an English footballer who plays as a winger for Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team. Bentley started his career with Arsenal, and despite being earmarked as one for the future, saw his playing opportunities limited by a strong senior squad. He spent two seasons on loan with Norwich City and Blackburn Rovers, and sealed a permanent transfer to Rovers in January 2006. Bentley produced strong performances for his new club, and soon featured regularly for the England national Under-21 football team. He made his full international debut against Israel in September 2007. In July 2008, Bentley joined Tottenham Hotspur.

Club career

Arsenal – Blackburn Rovers and…

…Tottenham Hotspur: On 31 July 2008, Tottenham Hotspur announced their signing of Bentley from Blackburn Rovers for £15 million, and up to an additional £2 million payable upon future performances. Bentley made his competitive debut on 16 August 2008 away at Middlesbrough where Spurs lost 2–1. He scored his first competitive goal for Spurs in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup first round tie against Wisła Kraków on 18 September 2008. He then scored his first league goal for Tottenham against his old club Arsenal with a 43-yard dipping volley in a 4–4 draw on 29 October 2008. Bentley’s form would suffer at Tottenham, however, and after falling down the pecking order for both club and country, he confirmed on 17 June 2009 that he was in talks to move to Aston Villa. Subsequently, it was revealed by Bentley and Aston Villa that this was untrue.

The form of Aaron Lennon meant that Bentley has mostly been used as a substitute for the start 2009–10 season, although he did score a free kick in Tottenham’s 9–1 victory over Wigan Athletic, with the ball then going in off the back of Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland. He also scored the second goal from a free kick in a 2–0 home win over Fulham on 26 January 2010. In June 2010, while in Marbella David Bentley confirmed that he would stay at Tottenham Hotspur unless told otherwise.

International career: Bentley has played for the England under-15 and under-16 teams, captained the England under-18 team and played for the England under-21 team. He recorded eight caps and four goals with the Under-21 team, He was the first Englishman to score at the new Wembley Stadium in a game against the Italy under-21 team on 24 March 2007.

In May 2007, following an impressive 2006–07 season for Blackburn, Bentley was called up for the England B international at Turf Moor for a match against Albania. After naming him as a starter, England manager Steve McClaren said Bentley had the potential to become England’s “new David Beckham”. In that match, Bentley provided the cross for Stewart Downing’s first goal and was involved in the buildup to Stewart Downing’s second in the 3–1 victory for England. He received the Man of the Match award for his performance. The next day, he was named in McClaren’s 26-man full England squad for the friendly match against Brazil and the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia.

In June 2007, Bentley was called up to the England under-21 squad for the European under-21 Championships in the Netherlands. However, he pulled out of the squad citing fatigue, and England under-21 manager Stuart Pearce questioned the midfielder’s commitment to the national squad. This withdrawal led to Bentley being excluded in the senior England squad for the friendly against Germany, but he was selected for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia. He made his senior debut when he came on as a substitute for Shaun Wright-Phillips against Israel, but was jeered by some of the fans due to his previous refusal to play for the under-21 squad.

Bentley started for England for the first time in the friendly against Switzerland on 6 February 2008.

A member of the inaugural class of the U.S. Soccer residency program in Bradenton, Florida, Donovan was declared player of the tournament for his role in the national U-17 team that finished fourth in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship, before signing for Bayer Leverkusen. After six years with the club, the majority of which was spent on loan at the San Jose Earthquakes, Donovan moved to the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2005, though he returned to the Bundesliga for a three-month spell at the start of 2009 on loan to Bayern Munich.

For the United States national team, Donovan is the all-time leader in scoring and assists, and has the most caps of all active players. He is a three-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year award (including the only male to win in consecutive years), as well as the only six-time winner of the Honda Player of the Year award.

Personal life: Donovan married actress Bianca Kajlich on December 31, 2006; the couple separated in July 2009 but their divorce has not been finalized.He currently resides in Manhattan Beach, California. He speaks Spanish, which he learned in high school and while playing with the Cal Heat club (which consisted primarily of players of Hispanic descent).

Full name: Landon Timothy Donovan
Date of birth: March 4, 1982
Place of birth: Ontario, California, United States
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Playing position: Winger, Attacking Midfielder, Forward

Club career: Bayer Leverkusen – → San Jose Earthquakes (Loan) – Los Angeles Galaxy – → Bayern Munich (loan) – Everton (loan)

Ronaldo began his career as a youth player for Andorinha, where he played for two years, then moved to Nacional. In 1997, he made a move to Portuguese giants Sporting CP. Ronaldo’s precocious talent caught the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and he signed the 18-year-old for £12.24 million in 2003. The following season, Ronaldo won his first club honour, the FA Cup, and reached the Euro 2004 final with Portugal, in which tournament he scored his first international goal.

In 2008, Ronaldo won the Champions League with United, and was named player of the tournament. He was named the FIFA Pro World Player of the Year and the FIFA World Player of the Year, in addition to becoming Manchester United’s first Ballon d’Or winner in 40 years.Three-time Ballon d’Or winner Johan Cruyff said in an interview on 2 April 2008, “Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United.”

Full name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Date of birth: 5 February 1985
Place of birth: Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
Height: 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position: Winger / Forward
Club career: Sporting CP/ Manchester United / Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo – Top 10 Goals – 2007-08 Video

Cristiano Ronaldo 2008-2009 Video

Club career

Sporting CP: Ronaldo joined Sporting’s other youth players who trained at the Academia Sporting, the club’s football academy, in Alcochete. He became the only player ever to play for Sporting’s U-16, U-17, U-18, B-team, and first team, all within one season. He scored two goals in his Sporting debut against Moreirense, while featuring for Portugal in the 2002 European Under-17 Championship.

When he was 15, Ronaldo was diagnosed with a racing heart, a condition that might have forced him to give up playing football. The Sporting staff were made aware of the condition and Ronaldo’s mother gave her authorisation for him to go into hospital. While there, he had an operation in which a laser was used to cauterise the area of his heart that was causing the problem. The surgery took place in the morning and Ronaldo was discharged from hospital by the end of the afternoon; he resumed training only a few days later.

He was first spotted by then-Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier at the age of 16, but Liverpool declined to take him on because they decided he was too young and needed some time to develop his skills. However, he came to the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2003, when Sporting defeated United 3–1 in the inauguration of the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Ronaldo’s performance impressed the Manchester United players, who urged Ferguson to sign him.

Manchester United

2003–2005: Ronaldo became Manchester United’s first-ever Portuguese player when he signed for £12.24 million after the 2002–03 season. He requested the number 28 (his number at Sporting), as he did not want the pressure of living up to the expectation linked to the number 7 shirt, which had previously been worn by players such as George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham. “After I joined, the manager asked me what number I’d like. I said 28. But Ferguson said ‘No, you’re going to have No. 7,’ and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honour.”

Ronaldo made his team debut as a 60th-minute substitute in a 4–0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers. He scored his first goal for Manchester United with a free kick in a 3–0 win over Portsmouth on 1 November 2003. He scored United’s 1000th Premier League goal on 29 October 2005 in a 4–1 loss to Middlesbrough. He scored ten goals in all competitions, and fans voted him to his first FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year award in 2005.

2006–2007: In November and December 2006, Ronaldo received consecutive Barclays Player of the Month honours, becoming only the third player in Premier League history to do so after Dennis Bergkamp in 1997 and Robbie Fowler in 1996. He scored his 50th Manchester United goal against city rivals Manchester City on 5 May 2007 as United claimed their first Premier League title in four years, and he was voted into his second consecutive FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year award at the end of the year.

Despite rumours circulating in March 2007 that Real Madrid were willing to pay an unprecedented €80 million (£54 million) for Ronaldo, he signed a five-year, £120,000-a-week (£31 million total) extension with United on 13 April, making him the highest-paid player in team history.

Ronaldo amassed a host of personal awards for the season. He won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards, joining Andy Gray (in 1977) as the only players to receive this honour.In April, he completed the treble by winning the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year. Ronaldo was also one of eight Manchester United players named in the 2006–07 PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

2007–2008: Ronaldo’s 2007–08 season began with a red card for a headbutt on Portsmouth player Richard Hughes during United’s second match of the season, for which he was punished with a three-match ban. Ronaldo said he had “learned a lot” from the experience and would not let players “provoke” him in the future. After scoring the only goal in a Champions League away match against Sporting, Ronaldo also scored the injury-time winner in the return fixture as Manchester United topped their Champions League group.

He finished as the runner-up to Kaká for the 2007 Ballon d’Or, and was third in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, behind Kaká and Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo scored his first hat trick for Manchester United in a 6–0 win against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on 12 January 2008, bringing Manchester United up to the top of the Premier League table.He scored his twenty-third league goal of the season in a 2–0 win against Reading, equalling his entire total for the 2006–07 season. During a 1–1 Champions League first knockout round draw against Lyon on 20 February, an unidentified Lyon supporter continuously aimed a green laser at Ronaldo and United teammate Nani, prompting an investigation by UEFA.One month later, Lyon were fined CHF5,000 (£2,427) for the incident.

On 19 March 2008, Ronaldo captained United for the first time in his career in a home win over Bolton, scoring both goals in the 2–0 victory.The second of the goals was his 33rd of the campaign, which set a new club single-season scoring record by a midfielder and thus topped George Best’s forty-year-old total of 32 goals in the 1967–68 season. Ronaldo scored another brace in a 4–0 win over Aston Villa on 29 March, which at the time gave him 35 goals in 37 domestic and European matches as both a starter and substitute. Ronaldo’s scoring streak was rewarded with his becoming the first winger to win the 2007–08 European Golden Shoe, finishing eight points ahead of Mallorca’s Dani Güiza.

In the 2007–08 Champions League final on 21 May against league rivals Chelsea, Ronaldo scored the opening goal after 26 minutes, which was negated by a Chelsea equaliser in the 45th minute as the match ended 1–1 after extra time. His misfire in the penalty shoot-out put Chelsea in position to win the trophy, but John Terry shot wide right after slipping on the pitch surface, and Manchester United emerged victorious 6–5 on penalties. Ronaldo was named the UEFA Fans’ Man of the Match, and wrapped up the campaign with a career-high 42 goals in all competitions, falling four short of Denis Law’s team-record mark of 46 in the 1963–64 season.

2008–2009: On 5 June 2008, Sky Sports reported that Ronaldo had expressed an interest in moving to Real Madrid if they offered him the same amount of money the team had allegedly promised him earlier in the year. Manchester United filed a tampering complaint with FIFA on 9 June over Madrid’s alleged pursuit of Ronaldo, but FIFA declined to take any action.Speculation that a transfer would happen continued until 6 August, when Ronaldo confirmed that he would stay at Manchester for at least another year.

Ronaldo underwent ankle surgery at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam on 7 July. He returned to action on 17 September in United’s UEFA Champions League goalless group-stage draw with Villarreal as a substitute for Park Ji-Sung, and scored his first overall goal of the season in a 3–1 League Cup third round win over Middlesbrough on 24 September.

In a 5–0 win over Stoke City on 15 November 2008, Ronaldo scored his 100th and 101st goals in all competitions for Manchester United, both from free kicks. The goals also meant that Ronaldo had now scored against each of the other 19 teams in the Premier League at the time. On 2 December, Ronaldo became Manchester United’s first Ballon d’Or recipient since George Best in 1968. He finished with 446 points, 165 ahead of runner-up Lionel Messi. He was awarded the Silver Ball after finishing with two goals as United won the Club World Cup on 19 December.

On 8 January 2009, Ronaldo was uninjured in a single-car accident in which he wrote off his Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano in a tunnel along the A538 near Manchester Airport. A breathalyzer test he gave to police officers at the scene was negative, and he attended training later that morning. Four days later, he became the first Premier League player ever to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year, in addition to being the first Portuguese player to win the award since Luís Figo in 2001.

Ronaldo scored his first Champions League goal of the season, and first since the final against Chelsea, in a 2–0 victory over Internazionale that sent United into the quarter-finals. In the second leg against Porto, Ronaldo scored a 40-yard game-winning goal as United advanced to the semi-finals. He later called it the best goal he had ever scored.Ronaldo participated in his second consecutive Champions League final, but made little impact in United’s 2–0 loss to Barcelona. He finished with 53 appearances in all competitions, which was four higher than the previous year, but scored sixteen fewer goals (26) than his career-best total of 42 from the previous season.

On 11 June, Manchester United accepted an unconditional offer of £80 million from Real Madrid for Ronaldo after it was revealed that he again had expressed his desire to leave the club. It was confirmed by a representative of the Glazer family that the sale was fully condoned by Ferguson When Ronaldo had eventually completed his transfer to Real, he expressed his gratitude towards Ferguson for helping him develop as a player, saying, “He’s been my father in sport, one of the most important factors and most influential in my career.”

Real Madrid

2009 – 2010: On 26 June 2009, Real Madrid confirmed that Ronaldo would join the club on 1 July 2009, after agreeing terms and signing a six-year contract.Ronaldo’s contract is worth €11 million per year and it has a €1 billion buy-out clause. He was presented to the world media as a Real Madrid player on 6 July, where he was handed the number 9 jersey. The shirt was presented to him by Madrid legend Alfredo di Stéfano. Ronaldo was welcomed by 80,000 fans at his presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, surpassing Diego Maradona’s record of 75,000 fans when he was presented in Italy, after he was transferred from Barcelona to Napoli in 1984.

Ronaldo made his Madrid debut on 21 July in a 1–0 win over Shamrock Rovers. His first goal came one week later on a penalty in Madrid’s 4–2 LDU Quito.On 29 August, Ronaldo capped his La Liga debut with a goal, scoring Real’s second from the penalty spot in a 3–2 home win against Deportivo La Coruña. On 15 September, Ronaldo scored his first Champions League goals, both on free kicks, against Zürich in a 5–2 win.He broke a Madrid club record when he scored in a league match against Villarreal and thus became the first ever player to score in his first four La Liga appearances.

An ankle injury suffered on 10 October, while Ronaldo was on international duty with Portugal against Hungary, kept him out until 25 November, which in turn caused him to miss both of Madrid’s Champions League group stage matches against Milan. Ronaldo made his first post-injury start in a 1–0 El Clásico defeat to Barcelona on 29 November. On 6 December, he was sent off for the first time in his Madrid career in Madrid’s 4–2 victory against Almería, a match which also saw him miss a penalty. He was carded first for removing his shirt during a goal celebration, then for kicking out at an opponent three minutes later.

International career

2006 World Cup: Ronaldo was the second-highest scorer in FIFA World Cup qualification in the European zone with seven goals, and scored his first World Cup goal against Iran with a penalty kick.

During a quarter-final match against England on 1 July 2006, Ronaldo’s United teammate Wayne Rooney was sent off for stamping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. The English media speculated that Ronaldo had influenced referee Horacio Elizondo’s decision by aggressively complaining, after which he was seen in replays winking at the Portuguese bench following Rooney’s dismissal. After the match, Ronaldo insisted that Rooney was a friend and that he was not pushing for Rooney to be sent off. On 4 July, Elizondo clarified that the red card was due to Rooney’s infraction and not the fracas between Rooney and Ronaldo that followed.

The angry reaction from the English press caused Ronaldo to consider leaving United, and he allegedly told Spanish sports daily Marca that he wished to move to Real Madrid. In response to the speculation, Ferguson sent Portuguese assistant manager Carlos Queiroz to speak to Ronaldo in attempt to change his mind, a sentiment that was shared by Rooney. Ronaldo stayed, and signed his new five-year extension in April 2007.

Ronaldo was booed during Portugal’s semi-final defeat to France, and missed out on the competition’s Best Young Player award due to a negative e-mail campaign from England fans. Though the online vote only affected the nomination process, FIFA’s Technical Study Group awarded the honour to Germany’s Lukas Podolski, citing Ronaldo’s behaviour as a factor in the decision.

2010 World Cup: On 15 June 2010, in Portugal’s opening 2010 FIFA World Cup match against Côte d’Ivoire, Ronaldo was tackled by right-back Guy Demel, which led to an argument and both being booked. The next day, Portugal contacted FIFA to suggest that Ronaldo’s yellow card be rescinded since he was “pulled into” the confrontation after having already moved away from the spot where he was tackled, but the appeal was rejected.

Ronaldo failed to make an impact in the World Cup; after going scoreless in the qualifiers, his only goal came in Portugal’s 7-0 group stage thrashing of North Korea on 21 June, which marked his first international goal in sixteen months. Portugal were ultimately eliminated by Spain in the round of sixteen.

Club career: Argeş Piteşti: 41 (11) / Dinamo Bucureşti: 33 (22) / Internazionale: 10 (0) / Verona: 57 (16) / Parma: 31 (18) / Chelsea: 28 (10) / Juventus: 41 (8) / Fiorentina: 92 (54)

Argeş Piteşti: Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti. He made his debut on 15 March 1997 against Oţelul Galaţi and went on to score 11 goals in 41 games before sealing a transfer to Dinamo Bucureşti.

Fiorentina: On 8 July 2006, Fiorentina announced that they had signed Mutu for €8 million from relegated Juventus which both clubs involved in the 2006 Italian football scandal. This reunited Mutu with his former manager at Parma, Cesare Prandelli. Mutu formed a productive partnership with then Fiorentina striker Luca Toni (now at Roma)—the pair scored 32 goals in the 2006–07 season. He was named the best player of the season by “Il Calcio”, due to his 16 goals and eight assists in 33 games.

In July 2008, A.S. Roma made a reported €18 to 20 million offer to sign him outright, But Mutu hinted that he may remain in Florence and eventually signed a new contact reported last to 2012.

On 30 November 2008, at his 200th match in Serie A, Mutu was chosen to captain Fiorentina in the game against Roma. On 2 February 2009, he scored his 100th and 101st Serie A goals against Bologna. On 15 February 2009, Mutu scored his first hat-trick with Fiorentina. After going 3–0 down against Genoa, Mutu converted a penalty, a free kick, and scored again in the final second of extra time, bringing the final score to 3–3. Despite a difficult elbow injury, Mutu managed to finish the 2008–2009 season with 14 goals, along with Gilardino they were one of the top ten single season striker partnerships in Viola history with 33 goals between them.

On 28 January 2010, it was reported again that Mutu had failed a doping test after Fiorentina-Bari (10 january 2010, serie A match) and on 29 january 2010 it was reported that Mutu failed a doping test after Fiorentina-Lazio (20 january 2010, Coppa Italia match), Mutu scored twice during that match, which ended 3–2. The Italian National Olympic Committee was requested to hand Mutu a one-year ban by the Italian anti-doping prosecutor.He eventually received a nine-month ban on April 19, 2010; the ban will end on 29th October 2010.

International career: As of 2009, Mutu has played for Romania 67 times, scoring 29 goals, 18 of which have come in qualifying games. Romania has only lost once when Mutu has scored for them, which was in a 2004 European qualifying game against Denmark. He was the vice-captain of Romania. His performances (games, goals) with the Romanian national team earned him the Romanian Footballer of the Year award.

Since 2009, Romania’s national team coach Răzvan Lucescu has reservations about convening him, because Mutu was exposed consuming alcohol before a match with Serbia in World Cup 2010 Qualifications.

Euro 2008, Mutu scored Romania’s only goal of Euro 2008 in the 55th minute of their second match against Italy, however in the same match he had a second-half penalty saved by Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, which could have sent Italy out of the competition and would have guaranteed Romania a spot in the quarter finals. The game finished 1–1.

Full name: Joseph John Cole
Date of birth: 08 November 1981
Place of birth: London, England
Height: 1.76 m
Playing position: Winger / Attacking Midfielder
Club career: West Ham United / Chelsea / Liverpool
National team: England – 56 / (10) ”First 2001”

Joe Cole Video

OFFICIAL: Liverpool Sign England International Joe Cole (2010)

Premier League giants Liverpool have confirmed the capture of England international Joe Cole on a free transfer. The attacking midfielder was available on a free transfer after leaving Chelsea earlier this summer.

The Reds have announced on their official website that they’ve agreed personal terms with Cole and that the gifted midfielder will undergo a medical in the next 48 hours. The highly rated winger will sign a four-year deal with his new club upon completion of the medical.

Cole is Liverpool’s second signing of the summer transfer window. The Reds previously secured the services of Serbian international Milan Jovanovic from Belgian outfit Standard Liege on a free transfer.

The 28-year-old Cole is a product of the West Ham youth system, but left the Hammers for a spell at Chelsea in the summer of 2003. He won three league titles and two FA Cups during a seven-year stay at Stamford Bridge. Additionally, he has represented his country 56 times, scoring 10 goals in the process.

The England international initially appeared to be on his way to Arsenal, while Tottenham Hotspur and Milan were also believed to be interested in signing Joe Cole. The versatile midfielder will ply his trade at Anfield Road instead though in the 2010 – 2011 campaign.

Cole will be wearing the number 7 jersey at Liverpool, a number previously worn by Robbie Keane, who left the club for Tottenham Hotspur in January 2009.

International career: Cole made his international debut against Mexico in May 2001.He was a member of England’s 2002 FIFA World Cup squad, made one substitute appearance off the bench. Cole was also a squad member at Euro 2004, but did not play.

His displays in England’s friendlies leading up to the 2006 World Cup enhanced his reputation ahead of the summer’s finals in Germany. In May 2006 he was confirmed in the England squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, ahead of Chelsea teammate Shaun Wright-Phillips. He played on the left side of midfield in England’s opening game against Paraguay on June 10, 2006.

On June 20, 2006, England drew with Sweden, in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, with a final score of 2–2. Cole scored a volley in the 34th minute of the match and got an assist in the 85th when he sent in a ball to Steven Gerrard. At the end of the match, Budweiser announced that Cole received the Man of the match. The Swedish football fans congratulated England for having such a valuable player in the tournament. Cole lined up for the England squad for the first time since the 2006 FIFA World Cup in the 1–1 friendly draw against the Netherlands, providing an assist for Wayne Rooney from a cross. After another injury, he returned to start the friendly against Brazil at Wembley Stadium on 1 June.

Cole scored his seventh goal for England in June 2007, in their European Championship qualifier, away to Estonia.

On February 7, 2008, Cole was one of the 23-man squad selected for the friendly against Switzerland which they won 2–1, courtesy of Jermaine Jenas and Shaun Wright-Phillips goals. For Jenas’ goal, Cole received the ball on the left wing, and with a quick bit of trickery, he lured his defender into an early tackle and skipped past. He then passed a smart ball through the box to Jenas who did not have to raise a leg. Cole received Man of the match for his performance.

In August 2008, Cole scored a late equalising goal in a 2–2 draw at Wembley against the Czech Republic after coming on as a substitute. He then scored England’s two goals in the next fixture after coming on as a second half substitute in the 2–0 defeat of Andorra in the opening match for the 2010 World Cup Qualifers. In England’s next world cup qualifier against Croatia he suffered a head injury in a clash with Croatian defender Robert Kovač which resulted in the Croatian’s sending off. After initially getting up he then collapsed and had to be substituted. However he was able to come back and watch the remainder of the match.

Cole was named in the final 23 man selection for England’s 2010 World Cup squad. He played in, and scored, in a 3-0 victory against the Platinum Stars, of South Africa’s Premier Soccer League, in an unofficial warm-up game.However he was limited to just two substitute appearances in the tournament itself as England lost to Germany in the second round.