Walter Adrián Samuel (born Wálter Adrián Luján on 23 March 1978 in Firmat, Santa Fe Province) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Internazionale.

[edit] Club career

Samuel started playing professionally in 1996 in Argentina for Newell's Old Boys, and a year later moved to Boca Juniors where he stayed until 2000. In that year, Roma bought his contract for €19.8 million. He gained fame as one of the best defenders in the Italian league and attracted interest from Spanish team Real Madrid.

Real paid €25 million for his transfer in 2004.^[1] But Samuel had a poor performance that season, and in August 2005, he returned to the Italian League with a transfer to Internazionale on a four year contract for reported €16 million. ^[2]

The centre back got the nickname of "The Wall" while playing for Roma in Italy, due to his defensive skills. In the Milan Derby on 23 December 2007, he hurt himself whilst marking superstar Kaká, and a couple weeks later, he had reconstructive surgery on his medial cruciate ligament. He was expected to be out until the end of the 2007-08 season. In actuality, he started training with the first team again in October of the 2008-09 season, and promptly earned a first team place back under Mourinho. Since the signing of Lucio, he has also partnered him at the heart of Inter's defence.

[edit] International career

Samuel has played 53 matches for Argentina, scoring four goals. He played for his country in the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan.

Despite key performances for the team over the years, he has yet to be recalled by coach Diego Maradonna.

[edit] Honours

• 2008 Italian Championship (Internazionale)
• 2007 Italian Championship (Internazionale)
• 2006 Italian Super Cup (Internazionale)
• 2006 Coppa Italia (Internazionale)
• 2005 Italian Super Cup (Internazionale)
• 2001 Italian Super Cup (Roma)
• 2001 Italian Championship (Roma)
• 2000 Copa Libertadores (Boca Juniors)
• 1999 Argentine Clausura Championship (Boca Juniors)
• 1998 Argentine Apertura Championship (Boca Juniors)
• 1997 FIFA's Football World Youth Championship

[edit] Personal life

The son of a single mother, he was born under the name of Walter Luján but decided to change his mother's surname for his stepfather's surname when he was a teenager.^[3]

He has a daughter and two sons with his wife Cecilia.^[4]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Walter Samuel at National-Football-Teams.com
• Samuel's profile at footballdatabase.com
• Guardian statistics

Argentina squads v • d • e Argentina squad – 1999 Copa América 1 Burgos • 2 Ayala • 3 Sorín • 4 Ibarra • 5 Simeone • 6 Samuel • 7 Barros Schelotto • 8 Zanetti • 9 Palermo • 10 Ortega • 11 López • 12 Bizzarri • 13 Vivas • 14 Pochettino • 15 Berizzo • 16 Guglielminpietro • 17 Husaín • 18 Cagna • 19 Calderón • 20 Aimar • 21 González • 22 Riquelme • Coach: Bielsa v • d • e Argentina squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Burgos • 2 Ayala • 3 Sorín • 4 Pochettino • 5 Almeyda • 6 Samuel • 7 C. López • 8 Zanetti • 9 Batistuta • 10 Ortega • 11 Verón • 12 Cavallero • 13 Placente • 14 Simeone • 15 Husaín • 16 Aimar • 17 G. López • 18 González • 19 Crespo • 20 Gallardo • 21 Caniggia • 22 Chamot • 23 Bonano • Coach: Bielsa v • d • e Argentina squad – 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup Runners-up 1 Franco • 2 Samuel • 3 Sorín • 4 Zanetti • 5 Cambiasso • 6 Heinze • 7 Tévez • 8 Riquelme • 9 Saviola • 10 Aimar • 11 Delgado • 12 Lux • 13 G.J. Rodríguez • 14 Milito • 15 Placente • 16 Coloccini • 17 Bernardi • 18 Santana • 19 Maxi Rodríguez • 20 Demichelis • 21 Figueroa • 22 Galletti • 23 Caballero • Coach: Pekerman