Position: Midfielder Squad number: 21 Date of birth: 9.01.87. Birth place: Dourados, Brazil Former clubs: Gremio Transfer fee: £6m
Lucas Leiva, nephew of Brazilian football legend Leivinha, arrived from Gremio in the summer of 2007 following an impressive spell at the club he joined as a youth. His honours included triumphing in Brazil’s second tier of football, a ‘Golden Ball’ award and gaining captaincy of the Brazil under-21 side..
Leiva made his full debut for Gremio in October 2005, featuring in a campaign which saw his team win their league and gain promotion to Brazil’s Serie A, the county’s top tier.
A second successful season with Gremio, which saw them win their state championship and finish third in the league heralded accolades for the player. Lucas received the ‘Golden Ball’ (Bola Ouro), awarded to the best player in the Campeonato Brasileiro, setting Leiva in such illustrious company as masters Zico, Romario and Kaka.
Given the attention the player’s talent has generated for himself, Liverpool’s capture of him is a major coup, fending off interest from Inter, Juventus and Barcalona to gain his signature.
The young Brazilian was confirmed as a Liverpool player on the 26th of July 2007, just in time to face Portsmouth in the Barclays Asia Trophy, coming on for Momo Sissoko in a defeat which was decided on penalties.
Leiva made his full Liverpool debut in a Champions League qualifier against Toulouse on the 28th of August 2007. He wears the number 21 jersey.
Having made his full international debut against Algeria on the 22nd of August 2007, Leiva can look forward to battling for a regular place in a Brazil side widely regarded as playing the classiest football in the world.
