Position: Midfielder
Born: 24.06.78
Club: Villarreal

Juan Roman Riquelme is another player who has suffered by comparison with Argentine greats of the past.

A totally different animal from the likes of Maradona and Kempes, this classy midfielder is finally proving himself at the very top level.

When Riquelme joined Barcelona for a big fee from Boca Juniors in the summer of 2002 he was expected to be the salvation of the Catalan giants.

But he struggled to fit in at the Nou Camp, and after finding first-team opportunities limited was loaned out to Villarreal.

Since that move he's been a real star at El Madrigal, helping his side first qualify for the Champions League, and then reach the knockout stages.

His silky passing has been one of the prime reasons behind Diego Forlan's astonishing renaissance in La Liga, and he's ever-dangerous from dead balls around the edge of the box.

Riquelme is the man who makes things tick for Villarreal, and he's likely to have the same task for Argentina in the summer.

• Walter Samuel
• 7 Javier Saviola
• 3 Juan Pablo Sorin
• 11 Carlos Tevez
• Javier Zanetti