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BUENOS AIRES: Juan Roman Riquelme is the quiet man of Argentinian football who is aiming to be the World Cup’s big noise.Four years after being left out of Argentina’s 2002 squad, the 27-year-old playmaker is now the pivotal figure in Jose Pekerman’s side, his languid forays from midfield invariably wreaking havoc in opposition defences.His modest demeanour is legendary in Argentina, where he enjoyed superstar status after rising to prominence during seven seasons at Boca Juniors that included a brief spell alongside his hero Diego Maradona.But despite being idolised by Boca’s fans, Riquelme eschews the spotlight and the trappings of celebrity, a trait that was accentuated by the kidnapping of his younger brother in early 2002.That incident — his brother was released after Riquelme’s family paid a US$160,000 (about RM576,000) ransom — left the midfielder shaken and later played a part in persuading him to sign for Spanish giants Barcelona.Leaving Boca was a huge wrench for Riquelme, who had already turned down several offers of a big-money move to Europe in order to stay with the club he had supported since childhood."I never wanted to leave Boca," said Riquelme, in a recent interview with British magazine FourFourTwo. "The love from the Boca fans made me happy and my only aim was to play in the Boca strip. Then I went through a very difficult time when my relationship with the club deteriorated."Around the same time my brother was kidnapped and that made me feel the time had come to move. It was a bad time. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody." Riquelme’s move to Barcelona was not the end of the nightmare however.Soon after reporting for duty at the Nou Camp he was told by then coach Louis Van Gaal that he did not want him, and that his signing had been made on the orders of the club’s president.Frozen out of the action, Riquelme lost his place in the first team and after a disappointing season was heading for the exit.Salvation came in the shape of a loan move to unfashionable Villarreal, who wasted no time in building their team around him.He has since flourished, making the move permanent and helping the Spanish side reach the semi-finals of the Champions League this season.Though his campaign ended in disappointment when he missed a last-minute penalty against Arsenal that would have forced extra-time, he was the undoubted star of the ’Yellow Submarines’ run to the last four."Riquelme’s a kind of quarter-back," was Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger’s appraisal. "He’s always able to slow the game down and wait for a weak moment to kill you." Villarreal team-mate Marcos Senna says Riquelme’s great talent is his positional play, which more than makes up for a distinct lack of pace."You think he’s only moving at 10kph, and then suddenly there he is in the right place as he’s moving at 80," said Senna. "He’s one of the best in the world — a real pleasure to play with." — AFP