Sebastián Coates

Coates at the 2012 Carling Cup Final
Personal information
Full name	Sebastián Coates Nion
Date of birth	(1990-10-07) 7 October 1990 (age 21)
Place of birth	Montevideo, Uruguay
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Liverpool
Number	16 [1]
Youth career
2001–2009	Nacional
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2009–2011	Nacional	55	(8)
2011–	Liverpool	9	(1)
National team‡
2009	Uruguay U20	10	(0)
2011–	Uruguay	7	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:48 (UTC), 10 April 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 2 September 2011

Sebastián Coates Nion (born 7 October 1990) is a Uruguayan football player who plays for Liverpool.

Early life[link]

Coates was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, to a Scottish father and Uruguayan mother.^[2]

Club career[link]

Nacional[link]

Coates joined Nacional at 11, and worked his way up through the age groups, appearing as captain at every level. In 2009, aged 18, he signed a contract and began playing for the first team. His first appearance came against Bella Vista, a performance for which he was named man of the match by El País.^[3] He then started every single game for Nacional, withstanding suspension and national duty.^[4]

Liverpool[link]

In August 2011, Coates was the subject of substantial interest from English Premier League club Liverpool. He was given permission to have a medical at Melwood ahead of his proposed move on 26 August, and the following day watched Liverpool's match against Bolton Wanderers. On 30 August, after receiving a work permit, Liverpool announced that they had signed Coates on "a long-term contract" for an undisclosed fee.^[5][6] Liverpool officially announced that Coates would wear the number 16 shirt, last worn by Sotirios Kyrgiakos who had recently departed to Wolfsburg.

On 18 September, Coates made his debut for Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur, replacing the injured Daniel Agger in the 27th minute, in a 4–0 defeat.^[7] Coates went on to make his first start for the club on 21 September against Brighton & Hove Albion in the League Cup in which Liverpool won 2–1. He also started in the next round of the cup against Stoke City, a game that Liverpool won 2–1. He scored his first goal in Liverpool colours on 22 November for the reserve team against Sunderland in only two minutes of gameplay. Liverpool Reserves went on to win 5–1. On 21 March 2012, he scored his first goal for Liverpool against Queens Park Rangers with a magnificent scissor kick from the edge of the box, in a game which Liverpool lost 3–2, despite going 2–0 up.^[8]

International career[link]

Although eligible to play for Scotland, Coates chose to play international football for Uruguay. After playing for the Uruguay under-20s he was called-up for Uruguay's first leg match in the CONMEBOL–CONCACAF playoff against Costa Rica where he was an unused substitute.^[9] He made his full international debut against Chile in the 2011 Copa América.^[10] Coates went on to win the award for the Best Young Player at the end of the tournament.^[11]

Club statistics[link]

As of 8 May 2012.

Honours[link]

Club[link]

Liverpool

• Football League Cup (1): 2011–12

Nacional

• Primera División Uruguaya (2): 2008–09, 2010–11

International[link]

Uruguay

• Copa América (1): 2011

Individual[link]

• Copa América Best Young Player (1): 2011

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• FIFA Profile
• Official LFC profile
• ESPN

v t e Uruguay squad – 2011 Copa América Winners (15th Title) 1 Muslera 2 Lugano (c) 3 Godín 4 Coates 5 Gargano 6 Victorino 7 Rodríguez 8 Eguren 9 Suárez 10 Forlán 11 Á. Pereira 12 J. Castillo 13 Washington Abreu 14 Lodeiro 15 Pérez 16 M. Pereira 17 Arévalo Ríos 18 Hernández 19 Scotti 20 González 21 Cavani 22 Cáceres 23 Silva Coach: Tabárez

Luis Suárez may refer to:

• Luis Suárez (Uruguayan footballer) (born 1987), football player who currently plays for Liverpool F.C.
• Luis Suárez (baseball) (1916–1991), Cuban baseball player
• Luis Suárez Fernández (born 1924), Spanish historian
• Luis Suárez Miramontes (born 1935), former FC Barcelona, Inter Milan and Spanish footballer and manager
• Luis Fernando Suárez (born 1959), Colombian football manager
• Luis C. Suárez, director and screenwrite of RPG Metanoia

This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Lucas Leiva

Lucas playing for Liverpool
Personal information
Full name	Lucas Pezzini-Leiva[1]
Date of birth	(1987-01-09) 9 January 1987 (age 25)
Place of birth	Dourados, Brazil
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)[2]
Playing position	Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current club	Liverpool
Number	21
Youth career
2004–2005	Grêmio
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2007	Grêmio	38	(4)
2007–	Liverpool	123	(1)
National team‡
2007	Brazil U20	9	(4)
2008	Brazil U23	7	(0)
2007–	Brazil	20	(0)
Honours Competitor for  Brazil Men's Football Olympic Games Bronze 2008 Beijing Team competition
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:00, 16 February 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:00, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

Lucas Pezzini-Leiva (born 9 January 1987), often known as simply Lucas, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liverpool and the Brazil national team. Lucas is the nephew of former Brazilian footballer Leivinha^[3] and also holds an Italian passport thanks to his descent from the country.^[4]

Club career[link]

Grêmio[link]

Lucas began his career at Grêmio in 2005. The following year was a successful year for him, as Grêmio won the Rio Grande do Sul state championship (the Campeonato Gaúcho) for the first time since 2001, and also came third in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Lucas also became the youngest player ever to receive Placar magazine's Bola de Ouro (Golden Ball), given to the best player in the Campeonato Brasileiro — an honour previously won by the likes of Zico, Falcão, Careca, Alex, Romário, Robinho, Kaká and Tévez.^[5]

His form in 2006 led to reported interest from many major European clubs including offers from top Spanish clubs and Inter.^[6] It was Liverpool that proved most attractive to the player, however, and on 13 May 2007 the club confirmed they had signed the player from Grêmio before the start of the 2007–08 season.^[7] The transfer fee was in the region of £6 million.^[8] Lucas remained with Grêmio until the end of their 2007 Copa Libertadores campaign. They made it to the final where they met Boca Juniors. However, Lucas had a niggling injury, causing him to start the first leg on the bench. With Grêmio 1–0 down, Sandro Goiano was sent off. Lucas was brought on to help shore up the midfield, but to no avail as Grêmio lost 3–0. Lucas was back in the starting line-up for the second leg, but Grêmio were again defeated, this time 2–0.

Liverpool[link]

2007–08 season[link]

On 26 July 2007, he was officially unveiled as a Liverpool player for a fee of £5 million and was given international clearance to compete in the final of the Barclays Asia Trophy.^[9] Manager Rafael Benítez was pleased with his signing, saying: "I am looking forward to seeing him score goals for Liverpool in the future and [we] believe he has the mentality and the character you need to do well in England".^[8] The next day, Lucas made his debut against Portsmouth, coming on for Mohamed Sissoko in the second half. He also won a penalty in the match against Everton after Phil Neville handballed on the line from Lucas' shot.

By late November, manager Benítez gave Lucas his chance to start a game in the Liverpool midfield, after easing him in during his first few months at the club. Lucas scored his first goal for Liverpool on 27 January 2008 when he curled a 25-yard shot into the top corner during an FA Cup match against Havant and Waterlooville, becoming the first Brazilian to score for Liverpool.^[10] The young Brazilian also started league games against Chelsea and Arsenal, as well as both Champions League games against Inter Milan.

2008–09 season[link]

The start of the 2008–09 season signified an important turning point for his career. Many commentators expected him to step up to the next level after completing his first season with the Reds.^{[citation needed]} The Brazilian got off to a good start with a well taken opening goal in a 2–1 friendly win over Swiss side FC Lucerne in July.^[11] He impressed in pre-season games but missed the start of Premier League season due to his selection for the Brazilian Olympic Team in the Beijing Olympics.^[12][13] He returned with a bronze medal and Benítez had high hopes for the Brazilian's future, stating "this season he will improve because he is a very, very good professional and has experience of the Olympic Games".^[14] Lucas noted that Liverpool's squad was much improved from the previous season and relished the opportunity to compete for trophies, despite the increased difficulty of getting a first team place.^[15] However, after a number of disappointing performances,^[16][17] both critics and fans voiced concerns about Lucas' quality and his confidence was further knocked when Liverpool fans booed him after a lacklustre draw against Fulham. The criticism irked Benítez and he responded with a passionate defence of the player, saying that "people just don't know how good Lucas is"^[18] Benitez also underlined Lucas' credentials, stating that he had been captain for both Grêmio and his national youth team, and that competing for place against Mascherano, Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso was inherently difficult. Lucas' performances in December 2008 for Liverpool drew him much praise from pundits, the highlight being his performance in the 5–1 thrashing of Newcastle, where he provided an assist for Steven Gerrard.^[19][20] Lucas was sent off in a cup tie against Mersey rivals Everton, which Liverpool lost. This compounded his growing unpopularity amongst Liverpool's supporters, after he gave away a late penalty in Liverpool's previous match, a 1–1 draw with Wigan.^[21][22]

On 14 March, Lucas played a key role^{[citation needed]} in Liverpool's 4–1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Lucas started in place of the injured Xabi Alonso. On 14 April, Lucas played against Chelsea in the Champions League, in place of Steven Gerrard. He scored a goal with his long range effort in the 81st minute deflected off Michael Essien and past Cech to make the score 3–3. Dirk Kuyt's header a minute later briefly gave Liverpool the lead, but Frank Lampard's 89th minute strike leveled the score to 4–4, with Chelsea winning 7–5 on aggregate to go through to the semi-finals of the tournament.^[23]

On 3 May 2009, Lucas scored his first Premier League goal, a header from a free-kick for Liverpool against Newcastle United in a 3–0 win.^[24]

2009–10 season[link]

During the 2009–10 pre-season period, Lucas showed good form scoring Liverpool's only goal in a 2–1 loss against Atlético Madrid. This form earned praise from manager Rafael Benítez, and gained him a start against Tottenham Hotspur for the opening game of the 09/10 season on August 16. Liverpool lost 1–2 but Lucas earned praise for a solid performance all round.^[25]

Lucas appeared in Liverpool's opening six games of the 2009/10 season, never previously having played six games consecutively for the club. Lucas has been playing continuously since the departure of Alonso.

The 2009/2010 season has seen a large increase in the form of the young Brazilian.^{[citation needed]} On 8 April 2010, Lucas scored his second European goal for Liverpool, scoring in Liverpool's 4–1 (5–3 aggregate) quarter final win over Benfica in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.^[26]

2010–11 season[link]

In pre-season games before the 2010–11 season, Lucas was made captain of a youthful Liverpool side against Grasshopper.^[27]

On 16 September 2010, Lucas scored his sixth goal for Liverpool shortly after replacing Ryan Babel in Liverpool's first Europa League group stage match against Steaua Bucureşti. The goal was Liverpool's third in a 4–1 victory and was scored from 22 yards.^[28] On 13 November, Lucas was sent off for the second time in his Liverpool career after being shown a second yellow card in injury time in Liverpool's 2–0 defeat to Stoke City.^[29] On 6 December, Lucas was voted the fan's pick for man of the match on the official Liverpool website.^[30] Lucas assisted a Ryan Babel goal in a 3–0 win over Aston Villa.^[31] On 12 February 2011, Lucas made his 100th Premier League appearance for Liverpool in a 1–1 draw with Wigan Athletic at Anfield.

In the absence of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, Lucas has grown into a first-team regular and the heart lynch-pin of Liverpool's midfield forming partnerships with Christian Poulsen, Raul Meireles and more recently Jay Spearing. His positive attitude and tackling ability have earned him Brazil call-ups, featuring in all of Brazil's games under new coach Mano Menezes as well as recognition as Liverpool's most consistent player of the season.

On 30 March, Lucas signed a new long term contract at Liverpool.^[32] On 17 April, during Liverpool's 1–1 draw against Arsenal at Emirates Staidum, Lucas played a pivotal role in ousting out Cesc Fàbregas in midfield, whilst showing a deft touch in the dying moments to earn his side a freekick in the last minute. His quick reaction time to then reach the loose ball from the resulting free kick, under which he was then tackled in the penalty area, earned his side a penalty, which Dirk Kuyt converted. Following the game, Kenny Dalglish praised "...he may be the one who stops the guy (opponent) going past the first fella then sets us on our way (creates attacks)", drawing growing comparisons to Xavi and 1994 World Cup winner and captain, Dunga. On 24 May, Lucas was voted the Standard Chartered Fans player of the year for the 2010–11 season, winning 40% of the 129,774 votes cast. He also made the most tackles in the top 4 European leagues in the 2010–2011 season.

2011–2012 season[link]

After an excellent run of form for Liverpool F.C. his season was cut short on 1 December, it was confirmed he was out for the remainder of the season after he suffered a anterior cruciate ligament injury after he collided with Chelsea player Juan Mata in the 2–0 win over Chelsea in the quarter final of the Carling Cup.^[33]

International career[link]

Lucas is the former captain of the Brazilian Under-20 team. He led the team to victory in the 2007 South American Youth Championship, scoring 4 goals in the process. He was expected to lead the team again in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Canada in July 2007 and was named in their squad. However an injury in training kept him from playing for 3 weeks, leading to his withdrawal from the squad.^[34]

In October 2006, Lucas was included in the senior Brazilian squad for friendlies against Kuwaiti club Al-Kuwait and Ecuador. Lucas was both the youngest member and one of only two non-Europe based players in a strong squad. He made his debut for Brazil on 7 October 2006 coming on as a second half substitute against Al-Kuwait. Brazil won the match 4–0. However, this appearance does not count as his first cap as the match was not considered an official friendly match by FIFA.^[35]

Lucas playing for Brazil in 2011

Lucas gained his first official Brazil international cap on 22 August 2007, coming on as a substitute in a friendly against Algeria.^[36] In June 2008, Lucas was named in the Brazil squad for an Olympics warm-up match later in the month.^[37]

On 19 August, Lucas was shown a red card in the Olympic semi-final between Brazil and Argentina after a challenge on then Liverpool team-mate Javier Mascherano, as Argentina ran out 3–0 winners. In August 2009, Lucas was recalled to the senior Brazil squad in place of Flamengo's José Kléberson, who was absent through injury. After missing out on the Brazil world cup squad in South Africa, Lucas played the full 90 minutes in a friendly against the United States on 10 August 2010.^[38]

On 17 July 2011, Lucas was shown a straight red card in the Copa América Play-Off semi final against Paraguay after an extra time altercation with Antolín Alcaraz. Brazil went on to lose this match on penalties after the 90 minutes finished 0–0.

Playing style[link]

Lucas came to Liverpool from Gremio as an attacking midfielder, however Rafael Benítez oversaw his transition into a holding midfielder. Following the 2010/2011 season, Lucas received plaudits from Fábio Aurélio claiming "He is much more mature, stronger physically and knows more about how to win games. He has shown great personality and capability to change things around", a mark of his growing creativity and passing ability, and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard who proclaimed "Lucas Leiva was our best player last season."

Personal life[link]

On 19 March 2011 it emerged that Leiva had become a first-time father of his son Pedro Lucas, which was celebrated after goals scored by Dirk Kuyt and Luis Suarez against Sunderland. He and his fellow team-mates ran to the crowd rocking their arms like a cradle.

Career statistics[link]

As of 23:00, 16 February 2012 (UTC)

All-time club performance

Club	Season	Brazilian League		Copa do Brasil		Campeonato Gaúcho		Libertadores		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Grêmio[39]	2005	3	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	3	0
	2006	32	4	4	1	16	0	-	-	52	5
	2007	3	0	-	-	9	2	8	1	20	3
	Club Total	38	4	4	1	25	2	8	1	75	8
		Premier League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
Liverpool	2007–08	18	0	4	1	3	0	7	0	32	1
	2008–09	25	1	2	0	2	1	10	1	39	3
	2009–10	35	0	2	0	-	-	13	1	50	1
	2010–11	33	0	1	0	1	0	12	1	47	1
	2011–12	12	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	15	0
	Club Total	123	1	9	1	9	1	42	3	183	6
Career totals		161	5	13	2	34	3	50	4	258	14

Honours[link]

Club[link]

Grêmio

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (1): 2004–05
• Campeonato Gaúcho (2): 2006, 2007

Liverpool

• Football League Cup (1): 2011–12

International[link]

Brazil

• 2007 South American Youth Championship (1): 2007
• Sendai Cup (1): 2004
• 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: Bronze Medal

Individual[link]

• Bola de Ouro (1): 2006
• Liverpool Player of the Season (1): 2010
• Liverpool Young Player of The Year (1): 2010

References[link]

External links[link]

• Liverpool FC profile
• Thisisanfield.com player profile
• Lucas career stats at Soccerbase
• Lucas Leiva at National-Football-Teams.com
• Lucas Leiva UK Unofficial Fansite
• Profile on Gremio.net (Portuguese)
• Video Compilation with all his goals and skills
• Profile on footballdatabase.com
• Lucas Leiva- Will Liverpool Go Nuts For The Brazilian Gerrard? (Article by Dave Westy on Sportingo.com, following Lucas Leiva's league debut against Everton)
• LFChistory.net player profile
• ESPN Profile

Brazil squads v t e Brazil squad – 2008 Olympic Bronze Medalists 1 Diego Alves 2 Rafinha 3 Alex Silva 4 Thiago Silva 5 Hernanes 6 Marcelo 7 Anderson 8 Lucas 9 Pato 10 Ronaldinho (c) 11 Ramires 12 Renan 13 Ilsinho 14 Breno 15 Diego 16 Thiago Neves 17 Rafael Sóbis 18 Jô Coach: Dunga v t e Brazil squad – 2011 Copa América 1 Júlio César 2 Daniel Alves 3 Lúcio (c) 4 Thiago Silva 5 Lucas Leiva 6 André Santos 7 Robinho 8 Ramires 9 Pato 10 Ganso 11 Neymar 12 Victor 13 Maicon 14 Luisão 15 Sandro 16 Elano 17 Elias 18 Lucas 19 Fred 20 Jádson 21 Adriano 22 Jefferson 23 David Luiz Coach: Mano Menezes

Daniel Agger

Personal information
Full name	Daniel Munthe Agger
Date of birth	(1984-12-12) 12 December 1984 (age 27)
Place of birth	Hvidovre, Denmark[1]
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Liverpool
Number	5
Youth career
0000–1996	Rosenhøj
1996–2004	Brøndby
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2006	Brøndby	34	(5)
2006–	Liverpool	119	(4)
National team‡
2003–2004	Denmark U20	35	(18)
2004–2006	Denmark U21	10	(3)
2005–	Denmark	44	(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:04, 8 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:00, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

Agger in action against Manchester City.

Daniel Munthe Agger (Danish: [dæˀnjəl ˈɑɡ̊ʌ]; born 12 December 1984) is a Danish footballer who plays as a defender for Liverpool and captains the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of Agadoo.

Club career[link]

Brøndby IF[link]

In July 2004, he was moved from the youth squad to the first team, following the departure of Swedish international defender Andreas Jakobsson. Daniel Agger quickly established himself not only as a first team regular, but as one of the key components in the team that won the 2004–05 Danish Superliga championship. Despite his relative youth, he played with great authority and class under the guidance of Brøndby team captain Per Nielsen, and after the first half of the season Agger was named 2004 "talent of the year" by Spillerforeningen (the Danish equivalent of the English PFA).

After the successful Superliga 2004–05 season, Agger was called up to the senior Danish national football team for the 1–0 friendly win against Finland on 2 June 2005, playing the full match. Agger spent the next national team match on the bench before playing the full 4–1 friendly win on 17 August 2005 over England alongside Per Nielsen, where he caused problems for the English forwards, most notably Wayne Rooney. He played the whole 90 minutes in the next two national team matches, before an injury sustained in the 2005–06 Danish Superliga season in September forced him out for the remainder of 2005. Only 20 years of age, Daniel Agger was awarded the Danish "talent of the year" of all sports on 6 December 2005.

Liverpool[link]

2006-07 season[link]

Agger was long linked to a transfer to a big club, and in the January 2006 transfer window, Agger got his wish and was looking to join English Premier League team Liverpool, the defending UEFA Champions League champions.^[2] Daniel Agger did not travel with his Brøndby teammates for their winter training camp in January and on 12 January 2006 he signed a 4½ year contract with Liverpool. The £6,000,000 transfer deal made him the most expensive footballer sold by a Danish club to a foreign club,^[3] as well as the most expensive defender Liverpool had bought, at the time. (Liverpool's most expensive defender is now Glen Johnson, who cost approximately £17,500,000 from the English club, Portsmouth).

His first half season at Liverpool saw injuries limit him to four first-team appearances during Spring 2006. In May 2006, he played 10 games and scored 3 goals for the Danish under-21 national team, for which he was selected to play in the 2006 European Under-21 Championship tournament.

Agger played the full game as Liverpool won the 2006 FA Community Shield. Still adapting to the English game, he established himself in Liverpool's first team squad, competing with Liverpool vice-captain Jamie Carragher and former Finnish team captain Sami Hyypiä for the two starting places in the central defence. Agger scored his first goal for Liverpool on 26 August 2006 in a 2–1 win against West Ham United. Agger was allowed to run unchallenged toward the Kop-end goal and scored from 35 yards (32 m) out. Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez commented he was not surprised and that Agger has frequently scored such goals in training.^[4] The goal was named Goal of the Month for August by the BBC's Match of the Day,^[5] and later Liverpool's Premiership Goal of the Season.^[6] On 4 October 2006 he was given PFA's fan award for impressive and solid displays in September.^[1]

Agger scored his second goal for the club in a Football League Cup away game against Birmingham City with a volley from close range during the seven minutes of first-half stoppage time. His third was against Arsenal, scoring a header in a 4–1 victory played on 31 March 2007. In the first semi-final of the 2006–07 Champions League, Agger received some criticism as Liverpool lost to Chelsea 1–0, after Chelsea striker Didier Drogba managed to dribble past him before making the assist to win the game.^[7] In the second leg of the semi-finals, Agger answered his critics by scoring another curler from a smartly-taken Steven Gerrard free-kick from just outside the penalty area, and helping Liverpool keep a clean sheet as the team beat Chelsea 1–0 on 1 May 2007.^[7] He went on to play in the 2007 Champions League Final which Liverpool lost 2–1 to Milan.