Ricky Álvarez

Early career

As a child, Álvarez played papi fut for Caballito Juniors and Club Parque, then had a brief stay in Boca Juniors youth divisions.

Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield

Álvarez played his first professional game with Vélez Sársfield in 2008. Following his debut, he suffered a knee cruciate ligament injury that stalled his progression on the first team. He then was part of the 2009 Clausura-winning squad, playing only 18 minutes in the 1–0 victory over Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy. The midfielder's breakthrough with the team finally came during the 2010 Clausura, in which Vélez, forced by the tight fixture of the Copa Libertadores, played mostly with substitutes. He scored his first goal in a 1–2 defeat to River Plate at the Estadio Monumental and received his first red card from referee Javier Collado in Vélez's 1–3 defeat to Racing Club for complaining about a yellow card. He totalled 11 matches during the tournament (4 as a starter) and scored one goal. Álvarez then played 15 games (2 starts) during Vélez's runner-up 2010 Apertura campaign. He also scored his second professional goal in his team's 1–0 home victory over Lanús for the 14th fixture. During the first semester of 2011, Álvarez received significant fan and media praise for his league and Copa Libertadores' matches. He also showed versatility by playing all midfield positions. During that semester, he helped his team win the 2011 Clausura and reach the semi-finals of the Copa…

On 18 August 2011, Álvarez was called up to Argentina's senior squad. He made his debut on 2 September 2011 against Venezuela in a friendly. Four days later, Álvarez played in another friendly, this time against Nigeria. He made another appearance in the 2014 World Cup qualification match against Bolivia. On 2 June 2014, Álvarez was called up for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

A left-footed and technically gifted playmaker, Álvarez is usually deployed as an attacking midfielder, due to his ability to both score and create goals. He has been praised for his work-rate, stamina, and tactical versatility, and is capable of playing anywhere in midfield, as well as in several offensive positions; he has also been deployed as a second striker, as a central midfielder, or as a right winger, a position which allows him to cut inside and shoot on goal with his stronger left foot. Nicknamed Ricky Maravilla, he was regarded as a talented and promising prospect in his youth, and his elegant playing style, shy personality, height and physique initially drew comparisons with Kaká and Javier Pastore, although he has stated that his main inspirations as a footballer were Zinedine Zidane and Riquelme. His main attributes are his powerful striking ability from distance, dribbling skills, and creativity, which along with his movement and acceleration often sees him exploit spaces by embarking on trademark solo runs with the ball; however, he has also drawn criticism from pundits for his lack of pace and inconsistent performances. In recent seasons, his playing time has also been limited due to several injuries. As such, he has been accused in the media of failing to live up to his initial potential.

Club

As of 20 May 2018

International

As of 4 January 2016

Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Álvarez goal.