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LUCAS LEIVA
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| Position:
Midfielder
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| Date of Birth:
09/01/1987
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| Height:
5'8
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| Weight:
11st 7
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| 1st team games:
32
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| 1st team goals:
1
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| International caps:
2
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| International goals:
0
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| Former clubs:
Gremio
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| Birth Place:
Dourados, Brazil
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Midfielder Lucas Leiva is a full Brazil international who signed for Liverpool in July 2007.
The starlet's arrival from Gremio was seen as quite a coup for Rafa Benitez, with a host of European clubs apparently circling.
Having broken onto the scene in October 2005, Lucas soon became the youngest player ever to win the Bola de Ouro. The honour is given to the best player in the Campeonato Brasileiro and has previously been won by Zico, Romario, Kaka and Carlos Tevez.
The youngster, nephew of former Brazilian footballer Leivinha, captained his country's under-20s to the South American Youth Championship title in 2007, scoring four goals in the process.
No wonder senior coach Dunga was starting to take note. He actually selected the box-to-box midfielder against Al-Kuwait in October 2006, but the game was not an official FIFA tie and so did not count as his international debut. That came a month into his Liverpool career in August 2007 when he came on as a substitute in a friendly with Algeria.
Lucas, who also holds an Italian passport, made his Reds bow as a second-half sub in a Champions League qualifier against Toulouse on August 28, 2007. A first start came on September 25 when he partnered Momo Sissoko in a 4-2 Carling Cup victory at Reading.
The Brazilian notched up more than 30 appearances in his debut season, with his solitary goal a real corker in the FA Cup against Havant and Waterlooville.
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