Liverpool FC Forum

Costa Rica winger Christian Bolanos is making arrangements to fly to England to undergo a trial with Liverpool.

The 21-year-old Deportivo Saprissa player impressed Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez during the FIFA Club World Championship in Japan and was subsequently offered a trial.

Bolanos - who's due at Melwood in January - scored a cracking goal against Sydney during the tournament and broke down in tears during his celebration.

David Pleat recently spoke very highly of Bolanos in his column in the Guardian newspaper.

Pleat wrote: "A trip to Japan for the Club World Championship allowed me to keep an eye open for foreign players who might make it in the Premiership, and this Costa Rican winger impressed me. I predict he will find a new home for his talents in England or continental Europe after the World Cup.

"Christian Bolanos plays in his homeland for Deportivo Saprissa, and a lot of people will be pleasantly surprised by his ability when they see him in action for Costa Rica against Germany in the opening game of the World Cup.

"He has pace and skill and is prepared to shoot when he cuts inside. It was his goal against Sydney that set up the meeting with Liverpool. Saprissa looked overawed, but Bolanos did not share those nerves. He wanted the ball and showed shrewd positioning by coming to receive from the touchline and then turning and facing defenders.

"His opponent from his position on the left was Josemi. Bolanos ran the ball with some style at the Spaniard and it was noticeable that Steve Finnan was back in the Liverpool team for the final against Sao Paulo.

"Shielding the ball strongly, Bolanos used his natural body swerve to go on the inside. But he also had the courage and confidence to try the outside, and showed when he popped up on the right that he is comfortable on either wing and can cross to good effect from both flanks.

"I saw shades of the former Liverpool winger Steve Heighway in the way Bolanos played the ball in one direction, cut back sharply and went the opposite way, taking the ball with close control with the outside of his right foot.

"He has a good physique and an all-important change of pace. He showed an ability to move quickly with the ball, become almost stationary and then move off again, leaving defenders trailing.

"The pen-pictures for the Saprissa team included some journalistic licence, or translation mistakes, with José Francisco Alfaro Saborio referred to as "frightful in the air". But Bolanos' description was spot-on in calling him "direct and dangerous".

"I was impressed not just by his work with the ball but by a couple of runs off it, when only last-ditch covering prevented him receiving a diagonal pass from a midfield colleague. He showed intelligence to seize the space between Josemi and Sami Hyypia.

"The signs are that he can also track back, a vital requirement in the Premiership. Against Liverpool and in the third-place game against Al Ittihad he looked to be a worker.

"He needed to be alert against Liverpool because the Saprissa left-back was constantly dragged inside by Steven Gerrard. That left acres of space for Djibril Cissé or Josemi to get into, so Bolanos was forced to put energy into getting back.

"Other attributes would need closer inspection. For example, how strong is he in the air and can he combine well with his colleagues? Differences of culture and language could also be stumbling blocks for him.

"In Costa Rica he can earn £70,000 a season, giving him a very comfortable life in a country where the average annual salary is around £10,000, but Europe beckons. Few Costa Ricans have excelled here, though Paulo Wanchope has succeeded intermittently. This youngster looks worthy of a chance."

Pleat believes he could be snapped up for around £500,000 before he makes an impression at the World Cup finals in Germany.