Luis Javier García Sanz (born 24 June 1978) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a winger.
He played professionally for Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in his homeland, amongst others – being brought up in the former's youth ranks – appearing abroad for Liverpool, with whom he won the 2005 Champions League and the 2006 FA Cup. Over the course of eight seasons, he amassed La Liga totals of 150 games and 22 goals.
A Spain international for three years, García earned 18 caps and represented the nation at the 2006 World Cup.
Club career
Barcelona
Born in Badalona, Barcelona, Catalonia, García began playing football with local CF Badalona at the age of 6, arriving at FC Barcelona's academy six years later from neighbours CE Sant Gabriel. After two successful seasons with their reserves, he left on loan for Real Valladolid, where he made his La Liga debut on 22 August 1999 in a 1–0 away loss against CD Numancia. He finished the campaign at Segunda División's CD Toledo also on loan, his four goals not being enough to prevent relegation for the Castilla–La Mancha side; on 18 August 1998, he had made his first competitive appearance for the Blaugrana, coming on as 78th-minute substitute for Boudewijn Zenden in a 2–1 defeat at RCD Mallorca in the Supercopa de España.
Subsequently, García played another year in the second tier, being instrumental in CD Tenerife's promotion by scoring 16 league goals under the guidance of manager Rafael Benítez. Loaned for the fourth time by Barcelona, he returned to Valladolid for 2001–02, netting seven top-division goals in 25 matches, including two in a 5–1 away victory over Tenerife.
Atlético Madrid
In the 2002–03 season, García was sold to Atlético Madrid for €3.6 million but, after a highly successful individual campaign (nine league goals), Barcelona activated a clause which allowed the player's return for an additional €1.4 million. He had another good year at the Camp Nou, helping the team to the second place in the league, five points behind champions Valencia CF.
Liverpool
García was signed by former Tenerife coach Benítez for Liverpool on 20 August 2004, on a five-year contract for a fee of £6 million. He was the fourth Spaniard the club acquired that summer and, nine days after arriving, made his Premier League debut in a 1–0 away loss to Bolton Wanderers, where he had an apparently legitimate goal ruled out for offside. His first goal with his new club concluded a 3–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion at Anfield on 11 September, and he went on to net seven more times in the league that season, including the headed winner in the Merseyside derby against Everton on 20 March 2005.
García was also a key player in Liverpool's successful campaign in the UEFA Champions League, scoring winning goals against Juventus F.C. and Chelsea (a controversial one in the fourth minute, dubbed a "ghost goal" by Chelsea manager José Mourinho), in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively. Having appeared in the final against A.C. Milan, he finished his first season in English football with 13 goals in all competitions.
García did not make so much of an impact in the 2005–06 campaign, although he weighed in with some vital goals, including one against Chelsea to put them out of the FA Cup in the semi-finals. He was suspended for the final victory over West Ham United, having been sent off in a league game just days after his semi-final winner, against the same opposition. Early into the season, he also scored the third goal in the Reds 2005 UEFA Super Cup 3–1 final defeat of PFC CSKA Moscow.
On 10 January 2007, following the 6–3 defeat to Arsenal in the League Cup which was his final game for Liverpool, it was announced that García had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the game. He would be out for at least six months.
His positive relationship with the fans was in great measure due to the fact of his decisive goals against Chelsea. It was further underlined by the song frequently sung in his honour, to the tune of "You Are My Sunshine": "Luis García, he drinks Sangria/he came from Barça to bring us joy!/He's five-foot seven, he's football heaven/So please don't take our Luis away!" In the 2013 poll of the 100 Players Who Shook the Kop, García ranked 34th. He totalled 30 goals in 122 competitive appearances during his tenure, with ten coming in the Champions League, five in the knockout stages of the 2005 triumph.
