Position: Defender
Born: 20.12.80

Club: Bayern Munich

Martin Demichelis is a central defender who has all the qualities needed to become a genuine world-class performer.

And the whole of Argentina will be hoping he does that in the World Cup finals in Germany.

He's excellent positionally and is a good leader, two qualities which normally separate a good centre-half from a great one.

He joined Bayern Munich from River Plate for around £3million in the summer of 2002, but took some time to settle in Bavaria; indeed his first season was affected by an ankle injury that limited him to just 14 Bundesliga appearances.

But in 2004-2005 he was simply outstanding, starring as a midfield anchor man under Felix Magath. His form helped Bayern land a double, and won him a call-up to the Argentina squad for the 2005 Confederations Cup.

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