Luis Javier García Sanz

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Personal information
Luis García
Image:Luis Garcia.jpg
Full name	Luis Javier García Sanz
Date of birth	June 24 1978 (age 31)
Place of birth	Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.73 m)
Nickname	King Luis
Position	Forward, right winger
Club information
Current club	Liverpool
Number	10
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
1997–1999 1999–2002 1999–2000 2000–2001 2002–2003 2003–2004 2004–present	FC Barcelona B Real Valladolid CD Toledo Loan CD Tenerife Loan Atlético Madrid <ref>Barça buy back Luis García, UEFA, 1 July 2003</ref> FC Barcelona Liverpool	72 (25) 31 (7) 17 (4) 40 (16) 30 (9) 25 (4) 68 (16)
National team**
2005–present	Spain	18 (4)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 November 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of ]]11 October]] 2006.

Luis Javier García Sanz (born June 24 1978 in Badalona, Catalonia, Spain), commonly known as Luis García, is a Spanish football player. He currently plays for Liverpool F.C. and wears the number 10 jersey. His favourite form of celebration is sucking his thumb. This is dedicated to his first-born son, Joel.

1 Player profile
2 Relationship with fans
3 Personal life
4 Honours as player
5 Statistics
6 Notes and references
7 External links

[edit] Player profile

Luis García played for FC CD Tenerife, Atlético Madrid, FC Barcelona and Real Valladolid, in La Liga. Normally, Luis García is employed in the "hole" position behind the striker and in front of the midfielders. He quickly earned a reputation in England as a player of remarkable skills, but this talent was qualified by his tendency to lose the ball in dangerous positions. His ability to kick confidently with both feet makes him an extremely versatile attacker, deployable on both flanks, as well as behind strikers. Despite his small frame, he has also shown a great ability to head the ball, with some of his most impressive goals coming in the air.

Luis García was signed by Rafael Benítez for Liverpool in August 2004 for a fee of £6 million (Benítez coached him when they were at Tenerife together). He was bought essentially as a cut-price replacement for El Hadji Diouf, in the attacking midfield role. He has proved much more than a stand-in, and has become a key component of Liverpool's attacking unit. He made his Premiership debut against Bolton Wanderers on 29 August 2004, a game that Liverpool lost 1–0, although García had an apparently legitimate goal ruled out for offside.

His first goal in a Liverpool shirt came against West Bromich Albion at Anfield in September 2004. He went on to score seven more league goals that season, including the winner in the Merseyside derby on 20 March 2005.

He was also a key player in Liverpool's successful 2005 Champions League campaign, netting the winning goals against Juventus (an unstoppable left footed shot which curled over Gianluigi Buffon, one of the best goals in the competition) and Chelsea (a controversial goal in the fourth minute), in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively. He took part in the Champions league final victory over A.C. Milan on 25 May 2005, finishing with an excellent 13 goals in all competitions in his first season in English football.

García did not make so much of an impact in the 2005-06 season, although he has weighed in with some vital goals, not least the impressive, lofted finish against Chelsea to put them out of the FA Cup in the semi-finals. García was suspended for the 2006 FA Cup win against West Ham, having been sent off in a Premier League game just days after his semi-final winner, ironically against West Ham, Liverpool's opponents in the final.

Garcia ranked 24th in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop online poll, with Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Robbie Fowler the only current squad players ranked higher.

Luis Garcia has also advertised H&M men's suits and Umbro football boots.

[edit] Relationship with fans

Replacing Anfield star Michael Owen as Liverpool 'number 10' was always going to be tough for a new signing, and despite an inconsistent first season, García firmly became a fan favourite. While many considered him a frustrating player for losing the ball often, they recognised his ability as a match-winner, underlined with superb goals against Juventus and Chelsea; he has been something of a bogeyman for the latter, with decisive goals against them in the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg and the 2005–06 FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford, though he has never scored against Chelsea in the league. His positive relationship with the fans is further underlined by the song frequently sung in his honour, to the tune of "You Are My Sunshine".

"Luis García,

He drinks Sangria,

He came from Barça,

To bring us joy,

He's five foot seven,

He's football heaven,

So please don't take our Luis away"

[edit] Personal life

He's currently married to Raquel and has a son named Joel

[edit] Honours as player

2004–05 UEFA Champions League
2005–06 European Super Cup
2005–06 FA Cup <ref name="FAC06">Garcia missed the 2006 FA Cup final due to suspension. However, additional medals are awarded by the FA.</ref>
2006–07 Community Shield

[edit] Statistics

correct as of 1 November 2006

**Club Performance**
Club	Season	Premiership		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Others		Total
Club	Season	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Liverpool FC	2006–07	8	1	0	0	0	0	5	3	1	0	14	4
	2005–06	31	7	3	1	1	0	13	3	2	0	50	11
	2004–05	29	8	0	0	3	0	12	5	0	0	44	13
Club	Season	La Liga		Spanish Cup		—		Europe		Others		Total
Club	Season	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
FC Barcelona	2003–04	25	4	6	1	—	—	7	3	0	0	38	8
Atlético Madrid	2002–03	30	9	2	0	—	—	0	0	0	0	32	9
FC Barcelona	2002–03	0	0	0	0	—	—	0	0	0	0	0	0
Real Valladolid	2001–02	25	7	4	3	—	—	0	0	0	0	29	10
CD Tenerife (loan)	2000–01	40	16	1	0	—	—	0	0	0	0	41	16
Real Valladolid	2000–01	0	0	0	0	—	—	0	0	0	0	0	0
CD Toledo (loan)	1999–00	17	4	0	0	—	—	0	0	0	0	17	4
Real Valladolid	1999–00	6	0	0	0	—	—	0	0	0	0	6	0
FC Barcelona B	1998–99	36	10	0	0	—	—	0	0	0	0	36	10
FC Barcelona B	1997–98	36	15	0	0	—	—	0	0	0	0	36	15
Total		283	81	16	5	4	0	37	14	3	0	343	100

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

Official Liverpool Player Profile

Image:Flag of Spain.svg	Spain squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup	Image:Flag of Spain.svg
1 Casillas \| 2 Salgado \| 3 Pernía \| 4 Marchena \| 5 Puyol \| 6 Albelda \| 7 Raúl \| 8 Xavi \| 9 Torres \| 10 Reyes \| 11 García \| 12 López \| 13 Iniesta \| 14 Alonso \| 15 Ramos \| 16 Senna \| 17 Joaquín \| 18 Fàbregas \| 19 Cañizares \| 20 Juanito \| 21 Villa \| 22 Pablo \| 23 Reina \| Coach: Aragonés