LUCAS LEIVA

Hard working and charged with breaking up the attacking thrusts of his opponents, many a Liverpool fan has criticised the work of the Brazilian midfielder during his time at Anfield.

Being from Brazil probably hasn’t helped this ex-Gremio star settle in England as he does not fulfil the criteria you normally expect to see in a midfielder from this particular nation. Silky skills and dribbling runs are not his main forte, but he has shown his potential in glimpses.

The Reds won the race to sign him ahead of a number of top European clubs after he had set Campeonato Brasileiro alight with a series of accomplished performances. After winning the Bola de Ouro, an award for the best young player in the league that lists Zico, Romario, Kaka and Carlos Tevez among previous winners, Lucas made his international debut in August 2007, but was not included in the squad for the 2010 World Cup.

The former Under-21s captain cemented his place in the Liverpool squad after the departure Xabi Alonso, but has yet to win over the Anfield faithful.

Strengths: Hard-working with bags of stamina, he is intelligent on the ball and is always a willing runner.

Weaknesses: Inconsistent and can drift out of games. Not very composed under pressure and has a limited range of passing.

Career high: Lucas ‘s reputation was given a real boost when he scored in the Euopa League quarter-final win over Benfica in 2010.

Career low: He was sent off in the 2008 Olympic semi-final against Argentina, which Brazil went on to lose 3-0.

Style: Intelligent, mature, a fine squad player.

Quotes: “People just don’t know how good Lucas is. He is a fantastic player, he was captain of his club side at 19 and has already won full caps with Brazil. Not just any country, but Brazil. He has captained their under-21s and their Olympic team.” Rafa Benitez, December 2008.

Trivia: He became the youngest ever recipient of the Bola de Ouro in 2006.