Stars of 2015: Carlos Tevez

Carlos Tevez is undoubtedly one of the most enigmatic players of the 21^st century. His career has triggered a debate over third party ownership in football, instigated a Premier League lawsuit with a multi-million pound payout, and featured a midseason mutiny at Manchester City. El Apache has often been his own worst enemy. Nevertheless, the talented Argentinian, like so many of his countrymen before him, found a true home in Italy, at Juventus.

There is no hyperbole in saying that Tevez transformed Juventus. He joined a team that had forged a reputation for having a mean defence and one of the best midfields in Europe but were conspicuously light up front. The likes of Vucinic, Matri and Giovinco had failed to consistently impress. Tevez’s impact was immediate and substantial. In his two seasons at the club, he scored regularly, with many of his goals important (He scored against Torino, Milan, Inter, Lazio, Fiorentina, Napoli, Roma, Dortmund and Real Madrid in his final year) but he also scored some great goals – his coast to coast against Parma was nominated for the 2015 Puskas award. Allegri’s arrival at the club and a temporary formation switch to 4-3-1-2, as well as Pirlo’s reduced influence, really accentuated Tevez’s impact. Wearing the No.10 jersey, he played like a revived Del Piero. With Allegri lacking a true playmaker, Tevez acted as a crucial link between the midfield and attack, combining well with the likes of Pogba and Pereyra to keep Juventus unpredictable.

Before the 2014/2015 season, Tevez had a dismal record in the Champions League. But he came alive in the latter stages of the group phase and continued that form into 2015. His role in the elimination of Dortmund, a game where Juventus came of age in Europe, was one of the standout performances of the competition. He scored twice (and also scored in the first leg) and unselfishly set up Morata for another as Juventus shocked Klopp, Dortmund and all of Europe at the Westfalenstadion.

2015 will be a memorable year for Tevez. He was Juventus’ best player as they nearly won the treble and although he disappointed (again) for Argentina, he finished 2015 strongly, inspiring Boca Juniors to the league and cup double. 2015 was the year Tevez finally showed maturity and mixed his talent and work ethic with 100% concentration. The result: He was one of the best players this year.

• This profile was designed to be part of Culture Custodian’s Top 10 Players of 2015 feature.