Javier Mascherano is one of the last great players to rise out of the junior ranks of the River Plate club. Masche was outstanding in a position occupied by the greatest heroes of that famous club, such as Americo Ruben Gallego, Reinaldo Carlos Merlo, Leonardo Astrada and Matias Almeyda.
The career of this talented midfielder followed the same path of his countryman Carlos Tevez. He shone in a great Argentine club (he won two league titles with River), was transferred to Corinthians of Brasil and then to West Ham in England, just like the former Boca player.
He was later transferred to Liverpool, where he finally found some solidity in his football before being linked with a series of moves to other European clubs, with Barcelona most heavily linked.
In spite of his youth, he is one of the stars of the Argentine national team, and has been the captain since the arrival of Maradona at the helm. He won two gold medals in the Olympic Games: one in Athens 2004 and the other one in Beijing 2008.
Strengths: His engine and ability to break up play and win the ball make him a key midfielder. His distribution, while unspectacular, is accurate.
Weaknesses: Lacks accuracy in his shooting at goal.
Career high: He was one of the cornerstones in the midfield of the Argentine team that grabbed gold at the 2004 Olympics
Career low: His stint with West Ham, where he played very little..
Style: He is always the engine of the teams in which he plays. A fierce midfielder with great ability to recover possession for his team.
Quotes: "Mascherano and 10 other guys," was Maradona's answer when asked about the names in the Argentine team's team.
Trivia: Debuted for the Argentine national team before making his debut in the Argentine first division for his own team.
Soccernet says: His sacrifices, his ability to lead by example and his level of play make him worthy of the captaincy of a national team in which he is probably the only player not under question.
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