Gonzalo Higuain awaits La Liga kick-off
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol striker Gonzalo Higuain has told of his excitement for the new La Liga season to get under way – and claims the squad is “hungry” for trophies. He told Spanish newspaper Marca that "it will be a fun year for us, but we are also hungry for titles. There are no alternatives to this. We must achieve this goal, and work hard towards it.”
The Argentina international also revealed why he will refuse to wear the number nine shirt – the traditional number for a first-choice forward player – and insisted he is happy with being the squad’s number 20. Cristiano Ronaldo is the current holder of the number nine, but with Raúl González Blanco having left the club for German Bundesliga outfit Schalke 04, the Portuguese superstar looks set to inherit the Madrid legend’s famous number seven shirt.
Coveted shirt number
Higuain explained that he is not looking to snatch the coveted number nine shirt, claiming that the number a player wears is not as important as the job that he performs for the team. He said: "I do not need to be the number nine of Madrid. I am happy to continue with mine. It does not matter what number one wears, it is the how well the person performs. I will respond on the field, which is what I have to do."
The 22-year-old striker also told of his admiration for Brazilian superstar Kaka, who Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly ready to allow to move on, and the departed Raul. He said: "Kaka is important to us. We need him at 100 per cent fitness, and more than ever, he needs to know that he will return there. We are hoping that it is sooner rather than later.
"As for Raul, I am grateful to him because he helped me a lot when I arrived at the club. I learnt from him and him moving away has made me sad. He chose his future in Germany and this decision must be respected."
Dribbling skills
Higuain, who is known for his pace and strong dribbling skills started his career with River Plate in Argentina. Between 2004 and 2007, he made 38 appearances for the club, scored 18 goals and set up 16 goals for team-mates. His talents attracted the attentions of Real Madrid who, after seeing a bid of 10 million eruos rebuffed, were successful with an offer of 13 million euros for the then-19-year-old Higuain.
The striker made his debut for Los Blancos in January 2007 against Real Zaragoza in a home game. He provided the assist for a goal in a 1-0 win. He scored his first goal for the club in February 2007 against Athletico Madrid and struck in a 4-3 victory over RCD Espanyol, lifting Madrid over Barcelona and into top spot in La Liga. He has won the Spanish league championship with Madrid twice and has also won the Supercopa de Espana with the club. In total, he has scored 64 goals in 139 games for Madrid and has provided 21 assists.
The player, who was born in France when his father Jorge Higuaín was playing for Stade Brestois 29, made his international debut in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Peru in October 2009 in a 2-1 win. He went on to make an impact at the tournament in South Africa, becoming only the third Argentina player to score a hat-trick at the finals when he struck three times against South Korea in a 4-1 group stage win. In total, he has made nine appearances as he has become an integral part of Argentina’s three-man strike force with Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi. He has scored six goals for his country.
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