Liverpool target Lorik Cana: All you need know about the Albanian midfielder
Published 17:54 29/04/09 By By Ann Gripper, Mirror.co.uk
Liverpool are hoping to snap up Marseille star Lorik Cana is the summer transfer market, but unless you're Rafa Benitez you've probably never heard of him. So, why not bone up on the future Premier League star with our handy top 10 profile.
1. Lorik Cana was born on 27 July 1983 in Pristina, Kosovo but moved to Switzerland in 1992 to escape the war.
2. His father, Agim Cana, was also a footballer and part of Albania's Golden Generation.
3. After the family moved to Switzerland, Cana junior started out at FC Lausanne Sport. He showed early talent and was reportedly spotted by Arsene Wenger at just 16, only for visa issues to prevent a potential switch to Arsenal.
4. In 2000 he was signed by PSG, breaking into the first team in 2003
5. The arrival of a new manager at PSG in 2005 saw Cana fall out of favour, and he was signed by Marseille for an undisclosed fee, becoming Olympique captain in 2007 after Habib Beye moved to Newcastle.
6. His travels mean he now holds Albanian, French and Swiss citizenship. But he represents Albania at international level, making his debut as a 19-year-old in 2003 against Switzerland, and is now the captain.
7. The defensive midfielder was touted as a possible replacement for Mathieu Flamini at Arsenal last summer and was also linked with a move to Everton. Either way, he is definitely a fan of the crunching tackle.
8. But he is perfectly capable of the spectacular attacking stuff too, as this goal shows.
9. And he made an impression against Liverpool in the Champions League this season, scoring in Marseille's 1-2 home defeat in September.
10. He already has more than 43,000 fans on Facebook - find out how many it is now

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