Kaka Career History

Name: Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite Nicknames: Kaká, The Golden Boy
Nationality: Brazilian
Date and Place of Birth: April 22, 1982 in Brasília, Brazil

appearances, 23 goals2003-present A.C. Milan
International Career: 2002-present Brazil
About Kaka:
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, or Kaká as he is better known, began developing his football talents at an early age in Brazil. However his footballing career was nearly brought to a premature end when in September 2000 at age 18 Kaká suffered a possible paralysis-inducing spine fracture as a result of a pool accident. Despite this career threatening injury Kaká made a full recovery and made his debut at Sao Paulo FC in 2001. Kaká scored 22 goals in 49 appearances for Sao Paulo FC over the next two seasons attracting attention from the major European Clubs. AC Milan won the race for the young man’s signature and Kaká joined the Italian club in 2003 for a fee of £8.5 million. Kaká settled into life at the San Siro quickly and became a first team regular in his first month at the club. Kaká managed to score 10 goals in 30 appearances for Milan in the 2003-2004 season assisting the club to lift the Italian Serie A title and the European Super Cup. Kaká’s career has flourished at AC Milan and his skills and talents were widely celebrated by the footballing world when he was awarded the Best Midfielder of the Champion’s League tournament in the 2004-2005 season, this despite Milan being beaten in the final by Liverpool. Kaká’s sparkling displays of footballing genius in the midfield position have seen football pundits drawing comparisons to Diego Maradona. In 2006 Real Madrid set the football press gossip columns alight when they enquired about signing the Brazilian star but they were rebuked by Milan who insisted Kaká was not for sale. Kaká ended all speculation by signing a new contract with AC Milan keeping him at the San Siro until 2011. Kaká has become an integral part of the Brazilian National team from first making his debut back in January 2002 and he even played a role in Brazil’s 2002 Fifa World Cup win. Kaká has matured into a midfield dynamo for Brazil and is currently considered as one of the national team’s best players. In the Fifa World Cup 2006 Kaká scored Brazil’s first goal of the tournament but despite a strong start in the group stages Brazil were knocked out by France in the quarter finals. At only 24 years of age Kaká’s talents have seen him become a respected player in both the European and International stage playing for both club and country.

Thierry Henry Career History

Name: Thierry Daniel Henry Nicknames: Titi, TH14
Nationality: French
Date and Place of Birth: August 17, 1977 in Paris, France

goals1998-1999 Juventus - 16 appearances, 3 goals1999-2007 Arsenal2007-present Barcelona
International Career: 1997-present France
About Thierry Henry:
Thierry Henry is a product of the French Football Federation's youth programme having graduated through the ranks at renowned youth football academy Clairefontaine before making his move into professional football with A.S. Monaco in 1994 at the age of 17. Given his debut by then Monaco coach Arsene Wenger, the young Henry became a fixture on the Monaco left wing where his tricky skills and electrifying pace allowed him to skip past fullbacks almost at will. Having layed 110 times and scored 20 goals in the red and white of Monaco, Henry used a fine set of displays during France's victorious 1998 World Cup campaign to earn himself a £10m move from the Principality to the more refined footballing air of Turin and Serie A with Juventus. Henry found it difficult to adjust to the more defensive minded approach of the Italian game and was labelled something of a big money flop in Italy before his former mentor at Monaco, Arsene Wenger, paid £11m to rescue him from Turin and bring him to the English Premiership with Arsenal in 1999. Still short of confidence following his year long ordeal in Italy, Henry failed to find the net in his first ten starts for Arsenal and was in danger of being labelled a failure again before Wenger decided to play him solely at centre forward rather than on the wing and the goals began to come. Seven years later and Thierry Henry had been top scorer at Arsenal in each season he has been at the club and is now the club's all-time record goalscorer. Widely regarded by many as the greatest player to ever play for Arsenal, Thierry Henry repaid Arsene Wenger's early faith in him by refusing moves to Barcelona and Real Madrid and penning a new four year contract in the summer of 2006 despite Arsenal's defeat in the 2005/2006 European Cup final. Arsenal's inability to compete in the transfer market or on the pitch, coupled with the departure of David Dein from the club and Arsene Wenger's inability to commit his own future beyond 2007/2008, led Henry to finally call time on his Arsenal career in the summer of 2007. A £16m move to long time admirers Barcelona was agreed and Thierry Henry now begins a new life as one of Barcelona's famous forward line at the Nou Camp.

Ronaldinho Career History

Name: Ronaldo de Assis Moreira Nicknames: Ronaldinho Gaúcho, The One Man Show, Dinho, Ronnie
Nationality: Brazilian
Date and Place of Birth: March 21, 1980 - Porto Alegre, Brazil
Playing Position: Attacking Midfielder / Forward
Current Club: Barcelona (Spanish La Liga)
Previous Clubs: 1998-2001 Grêmio 110 appearances, 37 goals2001-2003 Paris St. Germain 55 appearances, 17 goals2003-present FC Barcelona
International Career: 1999-present Brazil
About Ronaldinho: Born into a footballing family (his late father Joao played for Cruzeiro and his brother, now his manager, Roberto played for Gremio), the young Ronaldinho found more enjoyment in futsal and beach football before graduating to playing the standard game. He began his football career at his brother's old club Gremio in the youth team under future Brazil World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari and progressed to the first team aged 18 in 1998 and had made his Brazilian national team debut a year later in 1999. His goalscoring exploits and sublime skill on the ball drew much attention from Europe and in 2001 Ronaldinho left Gremio to move to France and Paris St. Germain. His time in Paris was littered with fallings out with then PSG coach Luis Fernandez who disapproved of Ronaldinho's love of Parisian nightlife and after two mildly successful years in France he again packed his bags and headed for Barcelona. In his first season at Barcelona Ronaldinho more than justified his reputed £18m price tag as he helped coax the Catalan giants into second place in La Liga and earnt himself the title of 2004 World Player of the Year. Having caught the eye of big spending Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, Ronaldinho was the subject of a failed £60m bid from the West London club and despite the resignation of his friend Sandor Rosell as Barcelona's vice president of sports, he signed a new contract in late 2005 with the Catalan club. As well as helping Barcelona to back to back La Liga titles in 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 and the European Champion's League in 2006, Ronaldinho has also won a host of personal awards including: FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005FIFPro World Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006European Footballer of the Year in 2005UEFA Champions League Best Forward in 2004-05World Soccer Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005and UEFA Champions League Most Valuable Player in 2005-06. Ronaldinho also became a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002.