Ten facts about Man United new boy Marcos Rojo.
Manchester United this week took a step closer to closing the gaping defensive hole in their back line as Louis Van Gaal looks to rebuild the ailing side he’s inherited from David Moyes. A new centre-back has been key to his plans, and luckily he has brought a very good one in for a very reasonable price.
Fans can be forgiven for not knowing too much about him, so below are ten facts that you may not have known about the Manchester United new boy.
1. His full name is Faustino Marcos Alberto Rojo and he was born on March 20, 1990 (on the same day singer Gloria Estefan broke her collarbone in a bus accident).
2. He is equally capable as a left-back as he is as a centre-back, and has played in both positions numerous times for club and country.
3. He can also be used further up the pitch as a winger, which has made him so attractive to Van Gaal who prefers to deploy wing-backs in a 3-5-2 formation. When within shooting range he is not afraid to have a crack!
4. Rojo played in every one of his countries games at the World Cup and even made the team of the tournament by clocking up 15 interceptions, winning 17 tackles and completing 191 passes.
5. He very briefly played in Russia when he signed for Spartak Moscow from Estudiantes in December 2010, penning a five-year deal. However, he only lasted the 2011-12 season after a torrid time, featuring just 19 times before moving onto Sporting Lisbon for £3.5m in July 2012.
6. He made his international debut back in February 2011, when Argentine defeated Portugal 2-1 thanks to a last minute Lionel Messi penalty.
7. He scored his only goal for Argentina at this summer’s World Cup, when he bagged the crucial winner in the group game against Nigeria.
8. He can speak fluent English, and even has the majority of his tattoos written in the English language.
9. According to transfer rumours, he has attracted the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and … Southampton, who were genuinely interested in him.
10. He is married to Eugenia Lusardo a model for a Lisbon-based lingerie firm called Dama de Copas. And the couple have a daughter called Morena (who they affectionally call ‘More’).