When Southampton’s manager, George Burley, signed Marcelo Sarmiento on a one- year loan, he rated the 26 year-old Argentine as

“a top class footballer,” who was his “type of player… a playmaker with an eye for a pass, who is very positive.”

It was soon obvious that this testimonial was misplaced and, without ever getting a game in the Championship, Marcelo went back to his parent-club after only half a season. He then spent four years in Greece, before returning home to his fifth Argentine club, where his progress was halted in November 2011, when he splintered both his tibia and his fibula in a match v Newell’s Old Boys. That effectively brought his professional days as a footballer to an end.