http://www.chelseafc.com/Player.asp?plid=7959

PLAYER PROFILES

Asier Del Horno


     The first new addition to the squad that won the Premiership, Asier
was top of Jose Mourinho's summer 2005 shopping list.


     With Celestine Babayaro having departed the previous January and
Wayne Bridge fighting back from a broken leg, a new left-back for the new
season was the highest priority. The identified target was a 24 year-old
who had recently made a Spanish international full-back shirt his own and
￡8 million proved sufficient for Athletic Bilbao to sell.


     The Basque club is Asier's only previous home: locally born, he was a
product of their youth system, making his debut in September 2000.


     He quickly built a reputation for exciting attacking raids down the
flanks and for weighing in with more than his fair share of goals. Six
foot tall, he is especially dangerous with his head at set-pieces and
scored 13 times in 94+14 league appearances in Spain.


     Asier’s debut for the national side came early last season and by
November he was introducing himself to English football fans by scoring
the winner past Sven Goran Eriksson's team in the Bernabeu.


     At Chelsea he immediately assumed the role of first choice left-back
and unveiled a previously unheralded string to his bow by striking the
crossbar with a free-kick in a pre-season friendly. He made his
Premiership debut at Wigan in August.