Profile

Fabio Aurelio became the first Brazilian to sign for Liverpool in July 2006.

The left-back came through the ranks at Sao Paulo, making his first-team debut in 1997.

He moved to Spanish side Valencia in 2000, working under manager Hector Cuper for a year until Rafael Benitez took the reins.

Having fulfilled his six-year contract at the Mestalla, the defender joined Liverpool on a Bosman free in 2006.

Aurelio made his Reds debut as a substitute in the Community Shield victory over Chelsea on August 13, though a series of injuries would restrict him to 25 games in his first year on Merseyside.

The full-back's season was ended prematurely when he ruptured his Achilles' tendon during a Champions League quarter-final victory over PSV.

Such dreadful luck marred Aurelio's first two seasons in England, though it was plain to see when he did feature that here was a player capable of achieving great things at Anfield.

It was not until the sustained title charge of 2008-09 that Kopites got to see what the No.12 could do on a regular basis. His free-kick past Edwin van der Sar in a 4-1 triumph at Old Trafford will live long in the memory, while Petr Cech also fell victim to Aurelio's deadly left foot in an ill-fated Champions League quarter-final with Chelsea.

More injury problems followed, though, and when his contract expired in 2010, Benitez confirmed no new deal could be agreed.

It was only when Benitez was replaced by Roy Hodgson later that summer that Aurelio dramatically re-signed for the club, agreeing a contract until 2012. There would be a change of shirt too as he took the No.6.