Jared Borgetti
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Age: 25
Position: Midfielder
Country: Ghana
Caps: 39
Goals: 10
Club: Fenerbahce
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Monday, 15, May 2006 12:19
Age: 32
Position: Forward
Country: Mexico
Club: Bolton Wanderers
National Appearances: 73
Goals: 37
Estimated 'Chelsea-target' value: £2 million
In Big Sam Allardyce's words: His overall quality, particularly in the box, is there for everyone to see for many a year.
The Desert Fox or Fennec Fox can survive with days without water. It is by no means the biggest and in no form the strongest. Yet its strength, the ability to hear another animal moving 1.5km away, remains undiminished.
Mexico's Jared Borgetti has started just 12 games for Bolton Wanderers this year, but in a season where he has been denied his staple diet of games he has still had his food and drink of goals. Borgetti has notched seven times so far for Bolton this season.
His nickname? El Zorro del Desierto, the Desert Fox.
Borgetti began a career that has seen him spend most of his playing days in Mexico back in 1991, playing for Atlas. Following a five-year period at the club, including several in the youth setup, he moved for eight years to Santos Laguna, where his three-times top goalscorer honour helped the club to win the league title on two separate occasions.
Further spells at Mexican club Dorados and Pachuca followed before he became the first Mexican to grace the English Premiership. Borgetti signed for Sam Allardyce's Bolton Wanderers in July 2005 for the paltry fee of £1 million.
The Desert Fox made his debut for Mexico in February 1997, as he took the field for El Tricolor against Ecuador in a friendly.
On the international scene, Borgetti has been nothing less than impressive. He is the country's record goalscorer, topping the 35-goal haul of Latin legends Carlos Hermosillo and Luis Hernandez with 37 goals in 73 appearances for El Tri.
Critics will point out that Borgetti's world-leading 14 goals in World Cup qualifiers came against weaker teams, such as Dominican Republic and St Vincent & The Grenadines, but many forget the striker's sublime headed goal against Italy in World Cup 2002, or the three-goal haul from last summer's Confederations Cup including one against Brazil and a double against hosts Germany.
Fated as one of the best headers of the football in Mexico and one of the best predatory strikers on the international scene, Jared Borgetti could well silence a few critics who have not seen the Desert Fox on the prowl in the Premiership this season.
Games against Angola and Iran are perhaps the smaller international sides that Borgetti has racked up so many goals against. With Portugal providing a big name for the predator to attack, Borgetti may not be too far from following in the footsteps of Ronaldo, Suker, Stoichkov, Salenko and Schillaci by grabbing the Golden Shoe.
Chris Webber.