Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (kaka)
Name: Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite
Nicknames: Kaká, The Golden Boy
Nationality: Brazilian
Date and Place of Birth: April 22, 1982 in Brasília, Brazil
Playing Position: Midfield
Current Club:
A.C. Milan (Italian Serie A)
Club Career History: 2001-2003 São Paulo - 58 appearances, 23 goals
2003-present A.C. Milan
International Career: 2002-present Brazil
About Kaka:
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, or Kaká as he is better known, began developing his football talents at an early age in Brazil. However his footballing career was nearly brought to a premature end when in September 2000 at age 18 Kaká suffered a possible paralysis-inducing spine fracture as a result of a pool accident. Despite this career threatening injury Kaká made a full recovery and made his debut at Sao Paulo FC in 2001.
Kaká scored 22 goals in 49 appearances for Sao Paulo FC over the next two seasons attracting attention from the major European Clubs. AC Milan won the race for the young man’s signature and Kaká joined the Italian club in 2003 for a fee of £8.5 million. Kaká settled into life at the San Siro quickly and became a first team regular in his first month at the club. Kaká managed to score 10 goals in 30 appearances for Milan in the 2003-2004 season assisting the club to lift the Italian Serie A title and the European Super Cup.
Kaká’s career has flourished at AC Milan and his skills and talents were widely celebrated by the footballing world when he was awarded the Best Midfielder of the Champion’s League tournament in the 2004-2005 season, this despite Milan being beaten in the final by Liverpool. Kaká’s sparkling displays of footballing genius in the midfield position have seen football pundits drawing comparisons to Diego Maradona.
In 2006 Real Madrid set the football press gossip columns alight when they enquired about signing the Brazilian star but they were rebuked by Milan who insisted Kaká was not for sale. Kaká ended all speculation by signing a new contract with AC Milan keeping him at the San Siro until 2011.
Kaká has become an integral part of the Brazilian National team from first making his debut back in January 2002 and he even played a role in Brazil’s 2002 Fifa World Cup win. Kaká has matured into a midfield dynamo for Brazil and is currently considered as one of the national team’s best players. In the Fifa World Cup 2006 Kaká scored Brazil’s first goal of the tournament but despite a strong start in the group stages Brazil were knocked out by France in the quarter finals.
At only 24 years of age Kaká’s talents have seen him become a respected player in both the European and International stage playing for both club and country.
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