Wilson Palacios Bio Send To Friend  

Honduras international Palacios has proved himself to be a class act while in England, with his impressive form eventually leading to a move to Tottenham Hotspur in January 2009 for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of £14m. He started his career alongside four of his brothers at Club Deportivo Victoria before moving to Olimpia. He also had a trial at Arsenal, but was not taken on, before moving to Birmingham City on loan in 2007.

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce rated Palacios highly and after departing to Wigan, soon followed his former boss out of the St Andrews exit door and was re-united with Bruce in January 2008. Bruce paid Olimpia a fee in the region of just £700,000 to secure his services and Palacios made an immediate impact, with his performances in the second half of that season attracting interest from Manchester United.

Although Palacios played only 41 games for Wigan, his strong, calm and commanding displays in the holding role of the Latics' midfield had earned him many plaudits. Though anyone who has seen him shoot will realise why he never scored for either Birmingham or Wigan. His move to Tottenham was initially held up due to work permit issues but he eventually signed before the transfer window closed to add steel to the Spurs midfield.

For Honduras, Palacios has been an ever present since making his debut in 2003. He played 16 of his country's 18 matches in qualifying, and his commitment was unwavering. Surprisingly, for Palacios, he even netted two goals in qualifying - one in each leg of the second round 6-2 aggregate victory over Peurto Rico.

Strengths: Athletic and powerful, Palacios possesses an incredible work-rate and a fearless attitude when it comes to tackling.

Weaknesses: Shooting. Ironic cries of 'shoot' can be heard around White Hart Lane when the midfielder picks up the ball. Doesn't score enough goals.

Career High: Achieving a place at the 2010 World Cup with Honduras, the country's first appearance in the finals for 27 years.

Career Low: Despite having an excellent reputation in Honduras, Palacios struggled to get noticed when he was trying to earn a move to Europe. He was rejected by Red Star Belgrade, Cagliari Monaco and Arsenal after trials at the clubs.

Style: A commanding, ball-winning central midfielder who never shies away from a challenge.

Quotes: "Palacios has made a massive difference to this club. He gets on with it, he's strong, he's aggressive - he's what Spurs haven't had. You get a little group who have seen Palacios come in, work his socks off and close down opponents, and it rubs off on people. He's not a big-time Charlie, you need people like that to be successful." Spurs boss Harry Redknapp

Trivia: It took Palacios 61 games to net his first goal in English football, but he eventually scored in Spurs' 5-1 win against Hull in August 2009.

Soccernet says: Palacios is the heartbeat of the Honduran midfield and his commanding presence and fearless approach to taking on the world's finest will be crucial if Honduras are to make a good account of themselves at the finals. His Premier League experience among a team lacking top level game time will be vital.