Argentina has provided some of the best footballers - and arguably the two best ever - to have graced the game in Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi while providing legendary teams who have lit up the sport including the 1978 and 1986 World Cup-winning sides.
Yet the South Americans have a man from Glasgow’s working class Gorbals area to thank for taking the beautiful game to Argentina. So Scotland is owed a small debut for stars such as Maradona, Messi and the marvellous Mario Kempes. Alexander Watson Hutton, who graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a second-class degree in philosophy, was one of the many immigrants who helped shape Argentina in the late 19th century and helped form the Argentine Association Football League (AAFL) in 1893.
Watson created a team, Alumni Athletic Club in 1901, from former students and a legend was born with the giants we know of today such as bitter rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate following. So after giving football to Argentina, what have they have given us in terms of the beautiful game?
Quite a few players - who became cult heroes at their clubs - and Alexandro Bernabei will be hoping to establish himself as a fans’ favourite as he prepares to become the latest to grace our game when he joins Celtic this week.
Here, Record Sport picks out some of the most famous players from Argentina who have played in Scottish football.
Victor Ferreyra
Scored against a brilliant Brazil team in one of his two caps for Argentina and arrived at Tannadice in a £350,000 deal from San Lorenzo in 1991 under Jim McLean where he became a huge fans’ favourite. A striker partner for Duncan Ferguson although maybe not the best pairing off the park after big Scot ended up in probation after imitating his style by walking into an Anstruther bar with an earring and silk glove!
But if trouble followed Ferguson then Ferreyra wasn’t far from controversy either on the park after he spat on Jim Duffy during a Tayside derby.
Claudio Caniggia
There are some stories in Scottish football that are hard to believe even now and the legendary striker joining Dundee has to be right up there.
A former striker partner and close pal of Maradona leading the line at Dens Park? Well, it certainly happened. There was a media frenzy following his arrival under madcap Ivano Bonetti but he still had plenty to offer - so much that he earned himself a move to Rangers where he won five trophies.
Gabriel Amato
A few years before the arrival of Caniggia in Govan, Rangers fans had already taken an Argentinian to their hearts.
But the flamboyant frontman found it harder to win over boss Dick Advocaat with his individual style not quite fitting into the Dutchman’s strict tactics. But following his arrival from Real Mallorca he provided some special moments - including an exquisite goal in a 4-2 win against Celtic - in his two years in Govan.
Fabian Caballero
What is it about Tayside and the attraction to Argentinian players? The striker was another who joined during that time under Ivano Bonetti.
Caballero, who had a loan stint at Arsenal prior to that, was one of a handful of compatriots including Juan Sara, Luis Carranza, Walter del Rio, Pascual Garrido and, of course, the aforementioned Caniggia. A real favourite with the fans with his impressive strike rate but left Dens Park following relegation to the second tier in 2005.
Juan Cobian
Played alongside Diego Maradona at Boca Juniors so arriving at Pittodrie must have been a bit of a culture shock for the former full back.
However, he had experience of British football prior to his time at Aberdeen following spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic. But it just never worked out for the defender under Ebbe Skovdahl with just three league games before moving to Swindon Town.
Franco Miranda
The former St Mirren man played in the same Argentina youth team as famous names Lionel Messi, Gago, Sergio Aguero and Javier Mascherano. Spent a couple of seasons on loan in Paisley and was due to return on a permanent basis only for the Buddies to pull the plug at the last minute after he had flown to Scotland to complete the deal.
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