While his compatriot Lionel Messi was sweeping all before him in Spain with champions Barcelona, 22-year-old striker Gonzalo Higuain was part of Real Madrid’s supposedly under-achieving galacticos, who had to content themselves with a place in Catalonian shadows.

Personally, though, Higuain had a bright season, with a nip-and-tuck battle for the top scorer spot in the Bernabeu side with world-record signing Cristiano Ronaldo.

 

Higuain also kept high-profile signings such as French international Karim Benzema out of the Real side, as he ended the season on an impressive 27 goals, second only to Messi in the goalscoring charts.

His form persuaded coach Diego Maradona to pick him for the national side and Higuain repaid Maradona’s faith with a vital strike in Argentina’s crucial World Cup qualifying win over Peru and the winner in a recent friendly against Germany.

Higuain nearly chose to represent his native France at international level before declaring for the country where he played his early senior football, starring for famous Buenos Aires outfit River Plate, from whom Real signed him in 2007.

Despite this being his most prolific season for Real, his most high-profile act was a vital miss in Los Blanco’s Champions League aggregate defeat to Olympique Lyonnais.