Position: Defender
Born: 12.04.81
Club: Inter Milan

Part of the Argentine team that won the World Youth Championship five years ago, Nicolas Burdisso has long been thought of as 'one for the future' and has recently begun to deliver after a turbulent spell in his personal life.

Having broken into the Boca Juniors team at the age of 18 to be heralded as 'the new Walter Samuel', Burdisso was linked with a move to Manchester United long before he eventually joined Inter Milan for 3.5million euros in 2004.

By that stage he had won no fewer than six trophies with Boca, but the chance of a move to one of Europe's biggest teams was too good to turn down.

His time at the San Siro has been badly disrupted, though, as he spent almost the whole 2004/05 season in Argentina after his young daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia.

With his daughter well now, though, he has been able to establish himself under Inter coach Roberto Mancini and was a key figure in their Coppa Italia triumph this season.

Able to play in any position across the back four, the 25-year-old can't consider himself an international regular just yet but he looks sure to secure himself a regular starting berth for the national side in the not too distant future.