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FABIO AURELIO
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| Position:
Defender
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| Date of Birth:
24/09/1979
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| Height:
5'8
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| Weight:
11st 9
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| 1st team games:
95
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| 1st team goals:
4
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| International caps:
0
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| International goals:
0
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| Former clubs:
Sao Paulo, Valencia
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| Birth Place:
San Carlos Brazil
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Left-back Fabio Aurelio became the first Brazilian to sign for Liverpool in July 2006.
The number 12 has immense technical ability but his Anfield career has so far been blighted by injury.
Aurelio came through the ranks at Sao Paulo, making his first-team debut in 1997.
He represented Brazil at U17, U20 and U21 level, as well as at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
The defender moved to Spanish side Valencia in 2000, working under manager Hector Cuper for a year until Rafa Benitez took the reins.
The 2001-02 season saw Aurelio help Valencia win their first title in 31 years.
From there he established himself as one of La Liga's best left-backs, bagging 10 goals during the 2002-03 campaign.
The following year brought another league title as well as the UEFA Cup, though a broken leg meant the Brazilian defender managed just two games.
Having fulfilled his six-year contract at the Mestalla, Aurelio joined Liverpool on a Bosman free in July 2006.
He made his debut as a substitute in the Community Shield victory over Chelsea on August 13, though a series of injuries would restrict him to 25 games in his first year on Merseyside.
The full-back's season was ended prematurely when he ruptured his Achilles' tendon during a Champions League quarter-final victory over PSV.
Such dreadful luck marred Aurelio's first two seasons in England, though it was plain to see when he did feature that here was a player capable of achieving great things at Anfield.
It was not until the sustained title charge of 2008-09 that Kopites got to see what their No.12 could do on a regular basis. His free-kick past Edwin van der Sar in a 4-1 triumph at Old Trafford will live long in the memory, while Petr Cech also fell victim to Aurelio's deadly left foot in an ill-fated Champions League quarter-final with Chelsea.
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