Mario Stanic was one of Croatia's most important players in the last World Cup.

Nicknamed "Super Mario", he is a technically gifted midfielder blessed with remarkable stamina and a nose for goal.

He won the Uefa Cup with Parma in 1999 before moving onto Chelsea in England.

There he scored a brilliant long-range volley on his debut before missing most of the rest of the season injured.

However, he returned to fitness for the 2001/02 season and has shown glimpses of his previous best in the run-up to the World Cup.