Maxi Rodriguez

An Argentinian international, Maxi Rodriguez is a classy winger who arrived at Anfield from Atletico Madrid for a bargain fee in the 2010 January transfer window, his Liverpool debut coming as a second-half substitute against Stoke City. His good form helped earn him a place in Diego Maradona’s World Cup squad for South Africa. The following campaign he hit the headlines when scoring consecutive hat-tricks against Fulham and Birmingham City. He had made his move to Europe in 2001 when he signed for Spanish Second Division side Real Oviedo on loan, after which came a permanent move to RCD Espanyol in La Liga. He was top scorer for Argentina’s U20 side as they secured the FIFA World Youth Championship on home soil. During three seasons in Catalonia he scored 26 goals in 110 matches and made his full international debut in a friendly against Japan in 2003. At the start of the 2005-06 season came a big-money switch to Atletico. A stunning extra-time winner against Mexico in the last 16 of the World Cup Finals in Germany was crowned as the best goal of the tournament in a poll conducted by FIFA. An injury interrupted his progress but he hit top form again in 2007-08, helping Atletico to fourth place in La Liga, thus securing Champions League football for the first time in seven seasons. It was in that competition that he scored the opener in his side’s 1-1 draw at Anfield, and he featured in Atletico’s 2-1 win over Liverpool in a pre-season friendly in 2009.