Clubs: UD Universidad Católica, Albacete Balompié, Liverpool FC, Real Sociedad de Fútbol (loan), Real Betis Balompié, PFC CSKA Moskva

UEFA honours
UEFA Champions League: runner-up 2007

• Born in South Africa to a football-playing father, Raúl González, who also won caps for Chile, he returned to his ancestral homeland aged ten and began professional career with leading Santiago club Universidad Católica.

• Moved to Europe in 2004, joining Spanish top-flight team Albacete; recruited by Liverpool a year later but had to wait 12 months before joining due to a work permit delay, remaining on loan in Spain with Albacete and Sociedad.

• Unable to build on a promising start with Liverpool, making just two starts in the Reds' run to the 2007 UEFA Champions League final − for which he was an unused substitute in Athens − and returned to Spain after one season at Anfield, joining Betis.

• His second and final season with Betis ended in relegation from the Liga; rejected a move to Olympiacos FC to join CSKA on a five-year contract in August 2009.

• A Chilean international since June 2003, he was ever-present with four appearances at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, scoring the winner in a 1-0 group stage victory against Switzerland in Port Elizabeth.