He Belongs to Jesus

Gliding across the surface whilst orchestrating play as effortlessly as he once did so famously in Italy, Kaka’s skill and vision tore apart Espanyol’s defence whilst the Madrid faithful sang his name from the terraces in a 5-0 demolition at the Bernabeu in March this year. To see a player perform like this on television is something, yet having witnessed this specific performance in the stadium, along with 80,000+ fans was extraordinary. Those who believe his form and impact on the game had declined since leaving Italy for Spain were made to eat their words as Kaka proved he is still one of the finest players on the planet with this exceptional display.

Unlike many South American footballers who have been fortunate enough to make the leap to Europe, Kaka was not raised in poverty, nor did he suffer from a tough upbringing. Rather than taking this good fortune for granted, Kaka often states how lucky he is and thanks God for the cards he has been dealt in life.

After surviving a nasty diving accident which nearly left Kaka paralysed at the age of 18, the Brazilian went on to blossom for Sao Paulo and soon started attracting attention from major European scouts. AC Milan eventually won the race for his signature, signing the young prodigy for €8.5million. Forming a formidable partnership with Milan’s star striker Andrei Shevchenko in his first two seasons with the Rossoneri, Kaka proved his worth in the red and black of Milan, instantly becoming a fan favourite during his successful seasons at the club. Considered the best attacking midfielder in the world, Real Madrid broke the bank to sign the starlet for a world record £56million. Madrid would then break this record again four days later with the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo for £80million.

Injuries hampered his initial success in Madrid, having been forced to spend four months of his first season on the side-lines watching his teammates due to surgery on his left knee. Kaka, now 30, has encountered other difficult injury persistence’s in his short career with Los Blanco’s, resulting in losing his starting place to Germany’s Mesut Ozil. However, when fit and playing it is still clear to see that he has lost none of his abilities and still remains a fan favourite as they try in vain in correcting the phrase ‘I belong to Jesus’ Kaka is renowned for displaying. In their eyes he belongs to Madrid and he is not for sharing.