While now more well-known for his Arsenal ties, Mikel Arteta's love affair with English football first began as a 22-year-old on the banks of the River Mersey at Everton.
In early 2005, Toffees boss David Moyes was looking to bolster his midfield as they chased a Champions League place, and remembered a player who'd caught his eye in a pre-season friendly with Real Sociedad the previous August. While out of favour at his hometown club, a youthful Arteta boasted technical excellence developed at Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, and experience at both Paris Saint-Germain and Rangers, both of whom he'd represented in the Champions League.