PLAYER PROFILE

Javier Mascherano

Position: Midfield

Height: 5'7

Weight: 10st 5lbs

Date of Birth: 1984-06-08 San Lorenzo, Argentina

Javier Mascherano

West Ham United snapped up Javier Mascherano on a permanent contract in August 2006, along with fellow Argentina international Carlos Tevez, but it was not long before Mascherano was on his way again.

The pair, who had previously been linked with Manchester United and Arsenal, made the surprise move to Upton Park from Brazilian club Corinthians. It was thought that the company which owns Corinthians, Media Sports Investments, wanted to showcase the pair in Europe for a season in order to boost their transfer values.

Mascherano featured in Argentina's run to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, having made his international debut in a friendly against Uruguay in 2003. He was part of the Argentina teams that won gold at the Athens Olympics and finished runners-up at the 2004 Copa America.

However, he struggled to settle at West Ham, making only a handful of appearances before joining Liverpool in January 2007 (after protracted issues led to it being delayed while FIFA and the Premier League investigated it), on an 18-month deal for a £1.5m fee.

That deal was finally made permanent in February 2008 for an undisclosed fee, with Mascherano having established himself as a key figure in the Liverpool side.

His first season as an official Liverpool player was a mixed one, however. Although he continued to put in fine displays, he ended the season trophyless and courted controversy in a league match against Manchester United at Old Trafford when he was sent-off for persistent dissent.