The pictures show Alvaro Arbeloa during Liverpool's 4-1 win against Arsenal.
Club Career: 63 League apps. (+3 as sub), 2 goals.
|
| Real Madrid: |
2004-2005 |
Played |
2 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(La Liga) |
| |
2005-2006 |
Played |
0 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(La Liga) |
| |
| Transferred on 1/8/2006 |
| |
| Deportivo: |
2006-2007 |
Played |
20 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(La Liga) |
| |
| Transferred on 31/1/2007 for £2.6 million |
| |
| Liverpool: |
2006-2007 |
Played |
9 |
Scored |
1 |
goal |
(Premiership) |
| |
2007-2008 |
Played |
28 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Premiership) |
| |
2008-2009 |
Played |
29 |
Scored |
1 |
goal |
(Premiership) |
Transferred to Real Madrid on 28th. July 2009 for £3.5 million.
2009–2016 Real Madrid 153 (3)
2016–2017 West Ham United 3
Alvaro Arbeloa's arrival at Anfield on the final day of the 2007 January
transfer window was a low key affair. Signed for £2.6 million from
Spanish side Deportivo la Coruna, the right back was brought in to
provide a more attacking option in that department to the
ever-dependable and ultra consistent, yet largely defensively minded,
Steve Finnan.
Viewed at the time as more of a squad player than a first-team regular,
the signing of Arbeloa hardly had Liverpool fans frothing at the mouth
in anticipation, but in his two and a bit seasons at Anfield the
Spaniard would go onto establish himself as Liverpool's first choice
right back and a popular player with the Anfield faithful.
Alvaro made his Liverpool debut as a substitute against Newcastle United
on 10 February, before making his first start for the club 11 days
later in a sublime 2-1 Champions League victory away at Barcelona.
Playing out of position at left-back, Arbeloa impressed with a committed
man marking job on Lionel Messi, continually frustrating the diminutive
Argentine maestro and seriously restricting his influence on the game.
During his first four months at Anfield, Arbeloa played 14 times for
Liverpool, including an appearance in the 2007 Champions League final as
a late replacement for Finnan. He also scored his first goal for the
club against Reading on 7 April 2007.
It was the 2007/08 season that Alvaro established himself as a first
team regular for Liverpool, often being preferred to Finnan in the
right-back slot.
However, it was apparent that although slightly more
attack minded than the Irishman, Arbeloa was far from the type of
overlapping full-back that many supporters and pundits felt Liverpool
required to add another dimension to their game. In fact, the Spaniard
scored just one more goal for the Reds in his 98 game Liverpool career -
against West Bromwich Albion in a 3-0 victory on 8 November 2008.
In the summer of 2008, Arbeloa was part of the Spain squad which won
Euro 2008. While the right-back may only have played a bit-part role in
this success, the confidence he gained from the experience was obvious
for all to see. Arbeloa enjoyed easily his best season for the Reds in
the 2008/09 season and was one of Liverpool's unsung heroes, featuring
in 29 league games as they narrowly failed to pip Manchester United for
the Premier League title. The Spaniard's fine season was marred
somewhat, however, by an unsavoury on-field bust-up with Jamie Carragher
in the penultimate game of the campaign against West Brom. The two
players had to be separated by teammates over an alleged row over
defensive responsibilities.
Despite Arbeloa's consistent performances during his two full seasons at
Anfield, Rafa Benitez realised that Alvaro didn't quite offer the
attacking options that the team desperately needed from full-back. The
big money arrival of Glen Johnson in the summer of 2009, combined with
the fact that the Spaniard had entered the last year of his contract,
convinced the Liverpool manager to accept a cut-price £3.5 million bid
for the player from Real Madrid - making him one of two players to leave
Anfield for the Spanish capital in that close season; Xabi Alonso being
the other. (David Fuller) |