And We Bid Farewell To Garcia

As they say, all good things come to an end. With new owners ready to splash big cash for bigger names, Rafa Benitez finally decides that one of his golden boys, Luis Garcia, is now dispensable and the Spanish forward has finally fulfilled his dreams, moving back to his homeland.

Brought in from Barcelona for around 6million GBP, Garcia is one of the first few players that joined Rafa in his 'Rafalution' at Anfield. A trusted player back in his Tenerife days, the artisan is brought in to add an extra dimension to Liverpool's attack as well as creativity.

But we all know artisans and connoisseurs tends to be unpredictable. Their ingenuity can really be a double edged sword. They never fail to provide us with entertainment and their flair are a pleasure to watch on the pitch. They're unpredictable yet their strength is also their ultimate flaw.

Because it's almost impossible to weave magic all the time, their volatile self means that there'll be times when they begin to blow hot and cold. Their unpredictability on the ball also became capricious in terms of performance on the pitch.

But whatever it is, it's players like Luis Garcia who brings back wonderful memories, the times when his magic 'worked' and that it turned into something spectacular. He's known for his frustratingly poor first touch and inability to hold up the ball but he'll always be remembered for scoring some really important goals.

The past 3 seasons has been very rewarding for Rafa and his men and one could not dissociate the days of glory from Luis Garcia's flamboyant style of play. His goals against Juventus, which looped over Gigi Buffon, the goal against Chelsea which stirred up a whole lot of controversies and talking point and also various other performances during our road to Istanbul and Cardiff last season.

4million GBP to Atletico Madrid might seemed peanuts to many but it is his own desire to return for Spain and to once again, play for his former club. At the age of 29, maybe Garcia felt that it's time to move on and that he has earned himself enough honour and respect playing for Liverpool for the past 3 seasons, winning the FA Cup and the prestigious Champions League.


Also, injury setbacks in the 2006/07 season means that Garcia would be a doubt in terms of long period fitness and that Rafa might not want to bank on him and his reccuring injury.

Despite clearly one of Rafa's favourites, he wasn't given a new contract and that Liverpool decides to cash in on the forward.

His ability to make people go wild yet also makes people pull their hair out is something unique about Lil' Luis and that we'll most definitely miss him after he's gone. His charisma and his thumb-sucking goal celebration will always be remembered while we wish him all the best back in Spain.

His ability is never in doubt, thanks for the memories, Luis.



He's Luis Garcia, he drinks Sangria!