Under the Shadow of...Mikel Arteta!

Mikel Arteta was moulded by FC Barcelona's youth academy. Despite this, Arteta never made an appearance for the Catalan giants. Instead, he joined Paris Saint-Germain on loan and inevitably became a huge hit in Paris, where he played alongside Ronaldinho.

A season later, his impressive performances caught the eye of Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers, who snapped him up for £6 million and where he remained for two seasons.

His stint in Glasgow was a successful one for Rangers, as they lifted the League and the Scottish Cup.

When his closest friend Xabi Alonso left Real Sociedad to join Liverpool, Arteta was purchased to replace him—little did Arteta know at that particular time that he would soon join Alonso on Merseyside.

Considering he netted 12 goals in under 50 appearances for Rangers, he didn't really enjoy his time back in Spain and soon was relieved of his nightmare by David Moyes, who signed him for Everton on loan.

Ever since then (January 2005), Arteta has refused to look back.

He has been a model of consistency for Toffees and David Moyes has used him quite efficiently and effectively.

Moyes has realized Arteta is promising in central-attacking role but even more threatening on the flank and thus hasn't hesitated on planting the Spaniard on the wings.

Besides having a fantastic ability to pass the ball quite accurately, Arteta is brilliant from set-pieces. He regularly scores wonder-goals from free-kicks for Everton.

Arteta has helped Everton's surge up the Premier League; his undying spirit has helped make Everton a force to reckon with for England's Big Four.

In January 2009, Arsene Wenger was speculated to be interested in luring Arteta to Arsenal but David Moyes insists Mikel Arteta's future lies at Goodison Park.

An Overall Career Grade - B+

Remarks - 'Under The Shadow' believes Mikel Arteta is truly an unsung hero. He plays a dominating role in midfield and has showed glimpses of true genius. He is truly a 'team-man' because of his attacking spirit and defensive nature. We believe Arteta despite being at a club of Everton's size - has a huge future ahead of him and Everton will be lucky to hold on to him.

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

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