RAUL MEIRELES - ONE OF A KIND

JOE HARVEY TAKES A LOOK BACK AT THE COLOURFUL CAREER OF THE FORMER LIVERPOOL AND CHELSEA MIDFIELDER

- JOE HARVEY

IN THE future, at an unde-termined time and place, an impeccably dressed Portuguese man will settle down with his grandchildren around him.

They’ll ask: “What did you do with your life, grandad?”

He’ll give them a warm, knowing smile, and, understandably, they’ll be absolutely petrified because, even when he’s smiling, he still looks like he’s a part of the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest cast. Especially when he’s smiling, in fact.

Then, he’ll sigh contentedly as he considers his list of achievements.

Win four consecutive titles at Porto? Check.

Win a PFA Fans’ Player of the Year award whilst at Liverpool? (Yes, this did happen). Check.

Receive a Champions League and FA Cup winner’s medal playing for Chelsea? Check.

Feature on the Portuguese version of Lip Sync Battle? (Of course). Check.

Raul Meireles was always… unique. His career, fittingly, was unique.

After moving from Boavista to Porto in 2004, Meireles established himself as a renowned centre-mid, deployed as both a defensive and attacking midfielder. Winning consecutive league titles with Porto meant that he was always on the European scene.

His move to a struggling Liverpool side in 2010 captured much of his own persona: Liverpool were a very unusual club at that time, and Meireles was a very unusual bloke.