Who the hell is Javier Garcia? 10 things you need to know about the Everton target - plus video of him in action

By Mirror Football in Football Spy

Published 11:10 12/11/09

• 

If any Premier League club needs reinforcements it's Everton. The Toffees have an injury list longer than Peter Crouch's legs but rumour has it they will try and ease the crisis by signing Benfica's 22-year-old midfielder Javier Garcia.

Chelsea too are hot on the trail of the former Real Madrid player, so here's everything you need to know about the young Spaniard.

1) Francisco Javier Garcia Fernandez was born on February 8, 1987 in Mula in Spain.

2) He is primarily a defensive midfielder but can also play at centre-back. He is strong in the air and excels at surging runs through the middle of the park from deep positions. His former Spanish youth coach Ginés Meléndez said: "He is a very strong player, a very powerful midfielder who is also technically gifted. He is a complete player. He has great presence, can score goals, is strong in the air and is similar in style to Patrick Vieira, although he's actually more of a cross between Vieira and Makelele."

3) Garcia is a product of the Real Madrid youth team and made his full debut for the first team when he was just 17-years-old in a 5-0 thrashing of Levante at the Bernabeu in November 2004.

4) His early Real debut proved something of a false dawn and he spent most of the next two seasons playing for Real Madrid's B side - winning the Spanish third division with them in 2004/05.

5) He has already tasted international success having won the 2006 Under-19 European Championship with Spain.

6) With his opportunities limited at Madrid, other clubs began sniffing round him - Liverpool among them - before he eventually signed for Osasuna for €2.5 million in August 2007.

7) Garcia revelled in finally getting some first team action and scored twice in his first six games for his new club, before Real Madrid re-signed him in the summer of 2008.

8) His return to the Bernabeu was little better than his first spell there and after just one season and 15 appearances he was on the move again, this time to Benfica for €7 million in July this year.

9) As well as his success with the Spanish Under-19s, he has also played for the Under-20 and Under-21 teams, and as a regular for the Benfica, he is rumoured to be in line for a senior call up soon. Spain boss Vicente Del Bosque said in September: "I know Javi [Garcia] well, he is a player with a great future and his start at Benfica has been impressive Let's see if he continues growing."

10) With Everton leading the race to sign him, Javier might want to get some tips about living on Merseyside from his cousin. Luis Garcia spent three years at Liverpool and was the player who scored the famous "ghost goal" against Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League semi final.

Everton lead Chelsea in race to sign former Real Madrid star