[lfc-news] Garcia undaunted by Owen's legacy - Telegraph

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Sunday Telegraph, 29 Aug 2004
Garcia undaunted by Owen's legacy
By Derick Allsop

The number 10 shirt has long been the mantle of mastery and mystique. Pele,
Law, Platini, Maradona - the line of succession is testament to its
inspirational status in world football.

But Luis Garcia was conscious of the additional burden he would be
subjecting himself to when he asked for the number at Liverpool. It was
vacated by Michael Owen, the England striker lured from Anfield by the
lucre and lustre of Real Madrid. Undaunted by the inevitable comparisons,
Garcia aspires to a leading role in the renaissance of a club that once
dominated the game not only in this country but also in Europe.

Garcia, a £6 million signing from Barcelona, is one of four Spanish players
in a squad already reflecting the influence of Liverpool's new manager,
their countryman Rafael Benitez. Xabi Alonso, a central midfield player
imported from Real Sociedad at a cost of £10.7 million, is likely to join
Garcia, a winger-cum-striker, on duty at Bolton today.

Both have five-year contracts and Garcia, 26, is intent on finding the
fulfillment that eluded him through a nomadic early career in his homeland.
"Those of us who have just arrived are determined to do something
historical at this club, create something permanent, something that will go
on forever," said Garcia on behalf of the Spanish acquisitions.

"Senor Benitez told me about the plans he has for the club, about what the
future holds for Liverpool. He's trying to build a team that will not just
be high in the English league but also taking part in the Champions League
on a regular basis and achieving things on a European level.

"Liverpool is still considered in Spain to be one of the greats of Europe.
I spoke to my colleagues in Spain and they all said, 'You've got to go
there, it's a massive club'. When Barca came to play here, they talked
about mythical Anfield."

Dark reality has shrouded the myth in recent years, which is why Owen
defected to the Bernabeu and Steven Gerrard almost joined Chelsea.
Liverpool's uncomfortable passage into the Champions League proper, losing
their home leg against AK Graz, can scarcely have impressed the watching
Garcia, although it will have hastened his debut. "You can't judge on that
performance," he said, diplomatically.

Garcia's commitment to the Liverpool cause is matched by his belief in
Benitez, the coach in charge at Tenerife when he scored 16 goals in a
season for the club. Others have been less convinced by the player, who has
had to ply his trade on loan and made rare appearances on his return to
Camp Nou.

The call from Benitez, recruited as replacement for Gerard Houllier after
winning the Spanish league and the UEFA Cup with Valenica last season, was
enough to outweigh personal sacrifice.

"It was very difficult to leave Barcelona," Garcia said. "Barca is a club I
grew up with. I went through the ranks as a young player. I'm from just
outside the area. All my family and friends are there. And my wife is
expecting a baby in October. So all these things made it hard to leave for
somewhere totally different. However, I had a conversation with Senor
Benitez and he put his faith in me. He was the first manager who gave me
the confidence to play. He has a reputation for building a proper team
rather than a collection of individuals, he gets everybody pulling in the
same direction."

"The Spanish league is important on the European scale but we consider the
English league to be on the same level. Maybe a different style, but the
same standard. I think it will suit my game - it's very fast, end-to-end
and there seem to be a lot of spaces in which to work."

Garcia expects to be playing on the right, but that will not diminish the
responsibility of wearing the No 10 shirt. "I realise it has a lot of
meaning for Liverpool fans and I know there are a number of great players
who have had that number. I see it as a challenge. The thing for me is to
not disappoint anyone and let down those players who have worn it before me."


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