PLAYER PROFILE

Milan Baros

Position: Forward

Height: 5'11

Weight: 12st 2lbs

Date of Birth: 1981-10-28 Valasske Mezirici, Czech Republic

Milan Baros

Milan Baros was signed from Banik Ostrava by Liverpool on 21 December 2001 for £3.4million. In signing Baros, Liverpool managed to pull off a double-coup by signing one of the hottest prospects in European football from under the noses of Borussia Dortmund, Internazionale and Juventus.

In reality, there was only one destination for the player. Having spoken to influential Czech internationals Patrik Berger and Vladimir Smicer, he decided to opt for a move to the Anfield club.

Baros was due to sign for Liverpool as soon as he had completed the requisite number of international matches he needed to have played to earn him a work permit. The striker was spotted by Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier while playing in the 2001 European under-21 Championship. In all his 14 appearances for the under-21 side before he progressed to the full international team, Milan scored nine goals.

Dubbed the 'Ostravan Maradona' for his dazzling close control, the striker earned his first call up to the Czech Republic's national side for a game with Belgium, where he made an instant impression with a goal. By the end of the 2002/03 season, Baros had become a regular in the senior side and a regular goalscorer for his country - in 8 appearances he scored 6 goals - one of them helping the Czechs to beat European Champions France 2-0.

In signing the forward for Liverpool, Gerard Houllier displayed what he hoped, in Baros' case, is the ability to pick up talented prospects just before they come of age. The signing was a vital one for the Reds as they sought a player to fill the gap left by Robbie Fowler after he left for Leeds United.

Baros made his Liverpool debut in March 2002, when he came on as a substitute for Emile Heskey, in the Reds' Champions League draw with Barcelona at the Nou Camp. Within a year, Baros established himself as a regular member of the first team. Injuries to Houllier's main strikers Owen and Heskey, and dips in form, paved the way for the youngster to make his mark with 12 goals for Liverpool during the 2002/03 season.

He began the 2003/04 season in fine fettle, displacing Emile Heskey from the starting eleven and linking up well with Michael Owen. But before his season really started, Baros was left with a broken ankle just five games into the campaign after a fair tackle from Liverpool defender Markus Babbel, on loan at Ewood Park for the season.

As a result of his injury and the form of Heskey and Owen, Baros spent most of the rest of last season on the bench. In a handful of appearances he scored just two goals. For the Czech Republic though, it was a different story. Baros scored 11 international goals, five of which came at Euro 2004 in Portugal making him the tournament's top scorer.

After Heskey and Owen departed, Baros had the chance to flourish in the 2004/05 season. However, it proved to be a mixed campaign. While he made the starting line up 45 times, scoring 13 goals (including a hat-trick in a narrow 3-2 victory against Crystal Palace), rumours of disputes with manager Rafael Benitez plagued him.

As a talented player, he could not understand why he was not a permanent fixture in the Liverpool first eleven. Things came to a head when rumours of a serious dispute arose after his exclusion from the team for the Carling Cup Final against Chelsea.

He told Czech newspaper Pravo of his frustrations: "It is not true that I had or have had disputes with boss Rafael Benitez. But I am annoyed that when I'm fit I only warm the bench or when Benitez takes me off during a game even if I haven't used up all my energy."

It was no surprise then that he left Anfield in August 2005, joining fellow Barclays Premiership side Aston Villa for £6.5m, where he scored twelve times in twenty-nine appearances in the 2005/06 season. However, the following season saw him struggle under new boss Martin O'Neill, and in January 2007, he left to sign for French champions Lyon, again under the tutelage of Gerard Houllier.

He was again on the move a year later, joining the Premier League once again, this time as a Portsmouth player.