Under the Shadow of...Ricardo Quaresma!

Ricardo Quaresma emerged from Sporting Lisbon's famed academy, which has also produced the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Joao Moutinho, and Miguel Veloso.

Quaresma was quite impressive for Sporting as an attacking winger; he had pace and was exceptionally skillful on the flanks.

He netted eight leagues in his time at Sporting before he caught the eye of FC Barcelona.

Frank Rijkaard's Barcelona captured the Portuguese winger despite interest from several other leading European clubs including Liverpool at that time.

However, he had a terrible time at the Nou Camp, as he made only ten starts in his first season and grew out of favour with the Rijkaard.

Quaresma ran out of patience; he wanted to play and he announced he would never play for Barcelona again, which ensured a bunch of cheeky offers reached the Catalan Giants.

Eventually, he returned home and joined FC Porto, with Deco going the other way.

He was an instant hit at Porto, with his sensational trickery and mesmerising ability to be a defender's nightmare. Quaresma even drew comparisons with Manchester United's high-flying sensation, Cristiano Ronaldo.

He was given the "play-maker" role at Estadio do Dragao, and he truly obliged.

His long-range shooting ability made him a fan favourite, and he helped Porto to win the league during his last three seasons at the club, scoring 24 goals in that time.

There was heavy speculation about his future with Porto. Liverpool and Chelsea were reported to be interested in the summer of 2008, but it was Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan who eventually landed the winger.

However, his stint in Milan has been far from impressive, as he has scored a solitary goal in 11 appearances.

Mourinho, though, believes he will be changed player - 'come the end of the season'

Overall Career Grade - C+

Remarks: "Under The Shadow" believes Ricardo Quaresma has the ability to be a much bigger player than he has become. He has it all: pace, trickery, long-distance shooting, and efficient passing ability.

Yet, he has had more "downs" in his career than "ups." We believe given more time, he could become a phenomenon at a club where he is given regular playing opportunities.

click here for Under the Shadow of...Robbie Keane