WELCOME TO TURIN - Carlos Tevez's Highs and Lows

CARLOS TEVEZ has jetted off for Italy after spending a turbulent seven years in England.

Juventus’ new £10m striker has been making headlines for both the right and wrong reasons ever  since he swapped Corinthians for West Ham in 2006.

Here, We run the rule over the 29-year-old’s time in England to pick out some the highest and lowest points of his career in the Premier League.

Carlos Tevez

                     

                         HIGHS

1) Signs for West Ham

COUP ... Alan Pardew poses with his double signings

Tevez signed for the Hammers alongside Argentine team-mate Javier 

Mascherano in August 2006.

The duo’s complicated ownership arrangements were believed to have put off 

other interested clubs but the pair were delighted to finally complete the 

shock switch.

2) The saviour cometh

UP FOR IT ... Tevez celebrates after scoring the goal that kept West Ham in the league

New boss Alan Curbishley was more of a fan of the striker than Pardew 

and gave him a run in the team.

Tevez repaid his manager’s faith by netting the only goal in a 1-0 win over 

Manchester United that kept West Ham in the Premier League.

3) Fergie swoops to fend off Inter-est

Fergie and Tevez

After lengthy negotiations, Tevez was loaned to Manchester United on a 

two-year deal after rejecting Inter Milan in favour of staying in England.

Alex Ferguson was quick to declare his intent to snap up the talent on a 

permanent deal.

4) Upton return

BACK IN BLACK ... Tevez on his Upton return

Tevez made a losing return to Upton Park with United in December but 

will have been thrilled by the standing ovation he received.

In appreciation, he crossed his arms to pay homage to the Hammers' crest.

5) King of Europe

Carlos Tevez with the Champions League Trophy

In the all-English 2008 Champions League final the fan-favourite scored 

one of six penalties that helped the Red Devils beat Chelsea to win the 

trophy.

6) Welcome to Manchester

RAISING THE BAR ... Manchester City celebrate the capture of Tevez

Many United fans felt they had been slapped in the face after Tevez 

signed for their ambitious — and now rich — cross-city rivals.

City supporters, however, were overjoyed and did not waste any time in 

poking fun at their neighbours.

7) Derby winner

In January 2010, Tevez starred for City as they fought back from a goal 

down to beat his former club in the League Cup.

He struck twice in a 2-1 win and stoked the flames by goading Gary Neville 

and the travelling support after netting from the spot.

8) FA-mous win

BLUE MOON RISING ... Tevez after winning the FA Cup

After missing the 1-0 win over United in the semi-final, the Argie ace 

returned for the unforgettable victory over Stoke in the FA Cup final.

9) League of our own

YOU THE MAN! ... Tevez with Roberto Mancini and the Premier League trophy

Tevez saw his holiday was cut short in February when he was brought 

back into the squad as they launched an assault on the title.

A dramatic last-day win got them over the line on goal difference in one of the 

greatest moments in Premier League history.

                  LOWS

1) Left in the wilderness

During Alan Pardew’s reign Tevez was given limited game time and he 

struggled to make an impact.

In November, the Argie ace threw a tantrum after being substituted in the 1-0 

win over Sheffield United and was forced to donate a week’s wages to charity.

2) Legal troubles

The Argentine’s transfer to East London was scrutinised by the Premier 

League in what turned into a long-running legal feud.

He was cleared to play for the rest of the season but West Ham were 

eventually fined £5.5million.

3) Dis-United

Relations between the hitman and his club grew strained in 2009 when 

he moaned about not being offered a permanent deal.

And despite Old Trafford chiefs agreeing to pay a £25.5 million fee and make 

him one of the club's highest earners, his advisors said he wished to move on.

4) Revenge is sweet

Tevez was powerless to prevent his ex-team-mates from reaching the 

final of the League Cup in 2010 as United overturned the first-leg deficit 

and went through 4-3 on aggregate.

Fergie's men went on to lift the trophy after beating Aston Villa 2-1 at 

Wembley.

5) Not so Great Escape

In December 2010, recently-appointed club captain Tevez handed in a 

written transfer request.

But after clear-the-air talks he withdrew it and played a starring role for the 

rest of the season.

6) Kompany takeover

Tevez tried to pull what had by now become an all-too-familiar 

disappearing act in the summer of 2011.

But he later changed his mind despite losing the club captaincy to Vincent 

Kompany.

The signings of Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko weakened his position further 

but he stayed at the club for the 2011-12 season.

7) Never say never

In September 2011, Tevez was named as a substitute during City's clash 

with Bayern Munich and, according to Roberto Mancini, refused to warm 

up.

The Italian blasted his striker's attitude and said he would never play for the 

club again. Tevez used the time off to work on his golf swing.

8) Car-loss Tevez

In what turned out to be his last season in Manchester, the Argentine saw 

City dethroned as champions and was ordered to do community service 

after admitting to driving while disqualified.

The club also lost out to relegated Wigan in the FA Cup final and finished the 

season trophyless.

9) Chile reception

After Mancini was axed by the board, many expected new boss Manuel 

Pellegrini to do some chopping of his own.

It appears Tevez did not fit the bill for the Chilean — leading to his Juventus 

switch.

                                Overall verdict: High

Despite all the controversy, Tevez is a quality player who has brought plenty 

of entertainment to the English game.

Ultimately, he will be missed.

GOODBYE ENGLAND!

Do you agree with our verdict at the bottom? Add your comments below.

Spain through to Confed Cup final after Epic Shootout

   SPAIN EDGE ITALY IN EPIC PENALTY SHOOTOUT

     Spain 0-0 Italy (7-6 pens): Navas the hero in gripping shoot-out

RIDING THEIR LUCK - ESPANA

La Roja progressed to the Confederations Cup final as the new Manchester City signing slotted home the decisive spot kick after a tight encounter with the Azzurri in Fortaleza.

Spain booked a date with Brazil in the Confederations Cup final with an 7-6 penalty shoot-out victory over Italy at the Castelao.

Although the World Cup holders stormed to a 4-0 win over the Azzurri in the Euro 2012 final, this encounter proved far more evenly-contested.

Italy dominated much of the 90 minutes but were left to pay for their misses. Emanuele Giaccherini hit the Spain post in extra-time, while Gianluigi Buffon pushed Xavi's shot on to the woodwork.

Vicente del Bosque's men monopolised possession but lacked a cutting edge in attack, while Italy missed numerous chances throughout as the match ended goalless.With nothing to separate the two nations the game went to penalties.Each of the first 12 penalties were converted in a high-quality shoot-out before Bonucci blasted his effort over Iker Casillas's crossbar.His miss allowed new Manchester City winger Navas to coolly convert past Buffon to set up an eagerly anticipated clash against the host nation, 2-1 winners against Uruguay in their semi-final, in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.

Making the Right Moves - Jesus Navas

But the complexion of the match would have been totally different had Italy, without injured striker Mario Balotelli, not squandered a host of goalscoring chances.Cesare Prandelli switched to a three-man defence and his side began impressively, despite letting the Spaniards control possession of the ball.

The Azzurri, though, with the Fortaleza crowd backing them, looked superb on the counter-attack. After Alberto Gilardino had failed to pick out the bottom corner from Antonio Candreva's cross, they became increasingly confident and forged yet more chances to find the net.

Christian Maggio was unable to guide a header from Andrea Pirlo's exquisite pass past Iker Casillas in the 17th minute and Daniele De Rossi's glancing header missed the target 60 seconds later.

In the 19th minute Claudio Marchisio missed the best of the bunch, though, as he nodded the ball well wide of the target from Candreva's cushion despite finding plenty of space between the two centre-backs.

That flurry of activity encouraged Spain to reduce the tempo and steady themselves, but the Azzurri were again next to test the opposing goalkeeper.

Jordi Alba was being nullified by the adventurous combination of Candreva and Maggio, and the latter was only denied a goal when a brilliant Casillas save kept his 36th-minute header out of the net.

Spain almost immediately punished Prandelli's side for their profligacy in front of goal one minute later, but after turning Andrea Barzagli in wonderful fashion Fernando Torres could not find a finish to match as he pulled his shot wide of the target.

With La Roja failing to show an increased threat immediately after the restart Del Bosque introduced Jesus Navas in the 50th minute. The new Manchester City signing had a positive impact, calling Gianluigi Buffon into action with a driven shot from 20 yards shortly before the hour mark.

The conditions began to sap the life from the game as Italy lost the intent on the break and Spain continued to lack creativity. Andres Iniesta attempted to take matters into his own hands, yet after a mazy run from the half-way line he sliced an attempt wide of the goal.

There were chances for both sides to win the game in normal time, though neither team could break the deadlock. Marchisio's attempt from a Candreva cutback was blocked by Gerard Pique before Pedro and the Barcelona centre-back wasted two great opportunities to work Buffon, and extra time ensued.

After three minutes of the additional period Italy had their best chance of the night. Maggio's cross rolled through to Emanuele Giaccherini at the back post, whose attempted shot crashed back off of Casillas' post.

The tempo to the game quickly picked up again and Iniesta's beautiful lifted pass over Leonardo Bonucci was volleyed over by Alba in the 99th minute as La Roja got nearer to breaking the deadlock.

Spain vs Italy

With five minutes left to play Xavi was denied an absolutely magnificent winner when his long-range shot was turned onto the post by Buffon. The Juventus keeper was forced to make another save from Navas one minute later to ensure the game went to penalties.

Candreva got Italy off to the perfect start by dinking the first penalty straight down the middle and all subsequent spot kicks were scored until Bonucci skied from 12 yards with the score level at 6-6. Responsibility fell to Navas who slotted the ball home to send Spain into the final.Buffon and Casillas were virtual bystanders in a shoot-out full of cool finishes, but it was Spain who were left celebrating after Navas's winner and they travel to Rio aiming to add the Confederations Cup to their trophy haul.

Spain will now take place in Sunday's final against Brazil at the Maracana, while Italy will contest the third-place play-off against Uruguay in Salvador on the same day.

(Ahead of the match, nearly 90 people were arrested for rioting outside the stadium in Fortaleza.)

WATCH THE MATCH HIGHLIGHTS AND THE EXCITING PENALTY SHOOTOUT HERE.

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Arsenal Transfers: Gonzalo Higuain the Latest Barrier to Theo Walcott's Dreams

Arsenal's impending signing of Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuaín is the latest barrier to Theo Walcott's dreams of being the Gunners' No. 9.

Dream Broken - Theo Walcott

He spent the beginning of his football life as a goalkeeper, but his frustrations of watching other kids score prompted him to become an outfielder. 

When he reminisced to FourFourTwo, you could instantly tell that he fell in love with scoring: "I didn’t start playing until I was 10 but I scored about 100 goals for my team AFC Newbury."

Walcott has maxed out his ceiling as a winger. 

He doesn't have the complete offensive game of Cristiano Ronaldo, lacks the dribbling ability of Franck Ribéry and doesn't possess the crossing precision of David Beckham to be world-class out wide. 

Ronaldo's 168 goals in his last three seasons for Real Madrid is the byproduct of freakish athleticism and football intelligence—Walcott has the former but not the latter. 

Ribéry averages 3.0 more dribbles per league game than Walcott as the Frenchman's game isn't overly reliant on pace. 

Beckham's remarkable crossing prowess was a main factor why he was a two-time runner-up for the FIFA World Player of the Year award—Walcott mishit 150 of 173 crosses last season.

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

This is why the word inconsistent is used to describe Walcott's tenure as a makeshift winger.

He has never identified himself as a winger and why would he?

One of his worst experiences as a footballer was created by his natural tendency to abandon his wide duties to be a faux-No. 9, from Theo: Growing Up Fast via Dominic Fifieldat The Guardian:

Something happened out there [at the training camp] that shook my confidence.

It was the second day, and I made a run inside from my position out wide on the right.

Suddenly Mr Capello started screaming at me at the top of his voice.

'Theo,' he was yelling. 'I will kill you if you come inside like that again.'

You need to understand that Walcott's self-worth is etched in the No. 9 role, soeverytime he is forced to play out wide, he is fighting against himself.

Afterall, he was put on a pedestal as a striker with world-class upside by then English manager Sven-Göran Eriksson.

"Where are the other good English centre-forwards?" quipped Eriksson when asked why he selected a 17-year-old Walcott for the 2006 FIFA World Cup via Matt Gatwardat The Independent. 

Walcott's insatiable need to constantly remind people he's a striker shows how desperate he is to play that position. 

Clive Mason/Getty Images

"The boss has always promised me I will get a chance to play up front," Walcott said to Jason Burt at The Telegraph. "So it’s been six years and maybe I'll get a chance up front."

When Walcott exercised his leverage over Arsenal management during stalled contractual negotiations for a new contract, he made it clear for the umpty-umpth time his desires to be a No. 9 via BBC Sport:

It's not going to happen any time soon. My last contract took six months to do. I've been judged, with people saying it's all about money. It's never been that with me.

I signed as a striker. I've learnt my trade out on the wing. Playing up front is important. It's one of the main factors for me.

Déjà vu, isn't it? 

June 29, 2009. 

On the eve of Horst Hrubesch's Germany beating Stuart Pearce's England 4-0 in the Euro U-21 final, Walcott was being questioned about his future with the Gunners. 

"The boss said I would have probably played little bit more up front last season if I’d not got injured," he said via Wales Online. "I probably will end up being a striker."

To explain the context of the conversation, he had recently extended his contract with the club. 

The difference between 2009 and now is that Wenger is ready to pull the trigger in a market where English strikers are bought for a premium. 

• 2011: Newcastle United sold Andy Carroll to Liverpool for £35 million

• 2004: Everton sold Wayne Rooney to  Manchester United for £25.6 million

• 2011: Sunderland sold Darren Bent to Aston Villa for £18 million

• 2005: Real Madrid sold Michael Owen to Newcastle United for £16.8 million

Also from January 1995 to July 1996, the British transfer fee record was broken three times for English strikers (Andy Cole, Stan Collymore and Alan Shearer). 

By buying Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski and now potentially Higuaín, Wenger is making it abundantly clear that he doesn't see Walcott as a centre forward.

Combined with Wenger green-lighting Walcott's inflated £100,000 per week salary, LeProfesseur not only strung Walcott along (again) but extended the Englishman's contract to increase his market value. 

Prepare to say au revoir to Walcott sooner rather than later. 

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