Cristian Benitez Bio

Benitez signed for the Blues in June 2009 for a club record transfer fee which could be worth up to £7.7m.

The striker had begun his career at El Nacional, where he impressed with his power and goalscoring ability.

The son of one of Ecuador's all time top scoring players, Ermen Benítez, he was a member of the Ecuador national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and his speed, elusiveness, and skill with the ball made him one of the standout performers.

Scoring nearly a goal every other game for Ecuador, Benitez has forged himself a decent reputation at international level and he made an unexpected move to Santos Laguna of the Primera División de México and quickly established himself as one of the best foreign strikers in the league.

Benitez starred in the Mexican Clausura in 2008, where he led the team to the title and was voted the best player of the season; and in June, 2009, he signed a three-year contract for Birmingham.