Luis Figo is on the verge of joining Liverpool as talks between the player and club have reached an advanced stage.
The Portuguese international could become the second Real Madrid player to leave Spain for Anfield this year after Fernando Morientes made the move in January.
Figo was the leader of Portugal’s ‘Golden Generation’ and won a FIFA World Youth Championship medal in 1991. He also made his full debut that year against Luxembourg.
He retired from international football after Portugal were defeated by Greece in the EURO2004 final. He had won 110 caps and scored 31 goals during his international career.
Figo left his native Portugal in 1995 and moved to Barcelona for a reported fee of just over £4m. He spent five wonderful years at the Camp Nou winning two Primera Liga titles and the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
In an extremely controversial move in 2000, Figo joined arch rivals Real Madrid for a then world record fee of £37m. The massive fee appeared justified as Madrid and Figo went on to win another two league titles and the Champions League. Figo himself also won the FIFA World Footballer of the Year in 2001.
He has an impressive list of honours to his name:
4 La Primera titles, Champions League, Intercontinental Cup, 2 Spanish Cups, 3 Spanish Super Cups, European Cup Winners’ Cup and 2 European Super Cup winners medals. As well as his FIFA World Footballer of the Year title in 2001 he had been named European Footballer of the Year the year before.
He can speak four languages including English and is married with one daughter. A move to Merseyside would raise a few eyebrows in the Premiership and would certainly cause a buzz of excitement amongst the Anfield faithful.