Mascherano :: Javier Mascherano

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Javier Alejandro Mascherano (Spanish pronunciation: ; born 8 June 1984) is an Argentine professional football coach and former player. As a player, he played as a centre-back or defensive midfielder, most notably for Liverpool, Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He is regarded as one of the best defenders and midfielders of his generation. Mascherano began his career at River Plate, where he earned his first senior honours, the Argentine Primera División, in 2003–04. He moved to Brazilian side Corinthians in 2005, winning the Brazilian Série A in his first season. Mascherano then moved to Europe, signing for Premier League side West Ham United, but his brief time at the club was blighted by unusual contract terms with Global Soccer Agencies. At the beginning of 2007, he joined Liverpool on loan, reaching the final of the UEFA Champions League, before he signed with the club for £18.7 million. After three years playing for Liverpool, Mascherano joined Barcelona in 2010, where he changed his position of defensive midfielder to full central defender. With Barcelona, he won five La Liga championships, two UEFA Champions League titles, and two FIFA Club World Cups, among other honours. Mascherano made 147 appearances for the Argentina national team and is the second most capped player in the country's history (after Lionel Messi). Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License - Full article