Top 10 things you need to know about Jean Beausejour

By Richard Aikman in Football Spy

Published 14:18 01/09/10

• 

Birmingham City yesterday completed the signing of Chilean World Cup star Jean Beausejour for a reported fee of £4m.

Here's MirrorFootball's Christopher Mann with 10 things you need to know about the skillful winger.

1) Jean Beausejour, 26, is a Chilean wide midfielder who began his career with Club Deportivo Universidad Catolica in his home town of Santiago.

2) Although born in Chile, Beausejour could have opted to play for Haiti having been born to a Haitian father and a Chilean mother.

3) A squat, stocky player, Beausejour hardly resembles the archetypal winger but impressed on the left flank in Chile's adventurous 3-3-1-3 formation at the World Cup in South Africa this summer, and will compete with James McFadden for a spot on Birmingham's left wing.

4) One of the key figures in Marcelo Bielsa's World Cup squad, Beausejour scored the winning goal and was named man of the match in Chile's opening Group H game against Honduras.

5) Something of a nomadic figure, Beausejour has played for a total of eight clubs in various corners of the globe during his career. He may not have played in England before, but Beausejour's arrival at Birmingham will not be his first spell in Europe. The winger has previously spent time in Switzerland with Servette and in Belgium with Gent.

6) Beausejour arrives at St Andrew's from Club America, one of Mexico's biggest teams, where he helped the Super Eagles to a fourth-place finish in the Mexican Apertura (their top flight) last season.

7) The Chilean guaranteed himself iconic status in Mexico when he scored against Club America's great rivals Chivas back in January 2009.

8) Despite his thick frame Beausejour is deceptively quick and, with his natural strength, should be well-suited to the pace and physicality of the Premier League.

9) He may not have played here before, but the Chilean is clearly a big fan of English football. "I am very happy and proud to get the chance to play in such an important league, the most watched in the world and where the best football is played," Beausejour said upon his arrival yesterday.

10) As well as giving the Brum team width down the left, Beausejour should weigh in with his fair share of goals, if this montage is anything to go by.

Fancy winning £3,000 for FREE this month? Play Mirror Football Streak for your chance to win cash prizes! Start predicting now!