Man City icon thrown into the cold by Roberto Mancini looks unrecognisable at new club aged 44

Roque Santa Cruz became a Premier League icon for his spells at Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City and the Paraguay star is still playing at 44 years old

Former Manchester City star Roque Santa Cruz is remarkably still playing football at 44 years old for Paraguayan side Libertad. The former Champions League winner also looks worlds away from the youthful demeanour he cut while plying his trade at the Etihad Stadium.

Once fresh-faced with jet black locks of thick hair, Santa Cruz, while still distinguished in his advancing years, appears lean, bearded and with short hair. It's likely he would appear unrecognisable to most football fans these days.

Santa Cruz joined City in the summer of 2009 for a little over £17million. However, he endured a tough time under Roberto Mancini, playing just 24 times and scoring four goals before making his way back to Rovers on loan. Santa Cruz first emerged as a major talent for Club Olimpia in his home nation.

He left for Bayern Munich at just 17 years old, going on to win five Bundesliga titles and the European Cup in his time in Germany. A move to Ewood Park was completed in 2007 for over £3m and he went on to score 23 times in 57 league games for Blackburn.

While Santa Cruz was a multi-faceted forward, capable of holding up the ball and scoring all types of goals, he found it tough to insert himself into City's first team.

Speaking in November 2010, Santa Cruz admitted that his days at City seemed numbered. "I can't see myself playing in the team and that's frustrating," Santa Cruz told BBC Radio 5 live. "When the boss does not believe in you then you can't push him to do so."

"It's frustrating for me because I'm healthy and I'll keep working hard on my fitness. But once the time comes I'll have to look at my options of playing somewhere else. There is no alternative."

While a clear fan of Santa Cruz, Mancini conceded he could not guarantee him minutes on the pitch. "Roque is a fantastic man and a good player, but he knows the situation here," the City manager said.

"I am very sorry for him because Roque deserves to play every game, because he works very well. But it is difficult at the moment. I hope for him that he can go to play for another team, because he deserves this."

Just 18 months after leaving Rovers for Eastlands, Santa Cruz returned to Ewood Park on loan for the remainder of the season. Upon returning he said he hoped to never go back to City.

"To be fair, I wouldn't like to go back. I never got a proper chance to play – three minutes here, five minute there once in a while," said Santa Cruz.

"In that sense I have been ignored. Of course,[Mancini] needs to bring the players he brought in, but there were chances where I could have played but he chose not to play me."

Of Blackburn he said: "Blackburn came in at the right time for my football and to come back and just keep playing again. That is why I appreciate so much what Blackburn have given me and I can't wait to start scoring."

Santa Cruz failed to recapture his form at Blackburn that he demonstrated in his first spell, however. He went on to have stints with Real Betis and Malaga, as well as in Mexico with Cruz Azul, before returning to Paraguay in 2016 with Olimpia.

Santa Cruz joined Libertad in 2022 and has scored 18 goals for the Asuncion-based side. Having won three titles at Libertad, while also becoming the oldest-ever player to score in the Copa Libertadores knock-out stage, it appears Santa Cruz has rediscovered his groove in his twilight years.

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking _here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click _here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.

And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including _Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.