Luis Garica is a name that brings back fond memories for Liverpool fans.
The little Spaniard was integral to the Reds legendary Champions League title winning campaign in 2005.
Garcia scored five goals en-route to the final in Istanbul, including the infamous “ghost goal” that dumped Chelsea out in the semis.
Although Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool flattered to deceive in the Premier League and eventually finished fifth, Garcia’s performances on the European stage were enough to see him get a Ballon d’Or nomination.
This was a fact that the former Spain international was keen to remind everyone of as the awards ceremony got underway in Paris on Monday night.
Taking to Twitter, Garcia shared a screenshot of the final rankings in the 2005 vote. This revealed that he finished in joint 23rd place alongside 2003 winner Pavel Nedved.
That may not sound too impressive but when you consider some of the other names on the list that year, it’s obvious why Garcia is so proud of his achievement.
“Thanks mom for the vote…” he jokingly wrote. Meanwhile illustrious names such as David Beckham, Luis Figo, Andrea Pirlo and Xavi were left trailing in his wake with a grand total of zero votes between them.
His tally didn’t trouble worthy winner Ronaldinho or Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard who came in third, but he could at least rightfully boast that any votes are better than none at all.
He may not possess the lustre or mythology of some of the other names on this particular rollcall but given that the Anfield crowd still sing about him being “football heaven”, it’ll be a long time before his contributions to a magical chapter in the club’s history are forgotten.
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