Miguel Perez Cuesta, more commonly known as Michu, sent shockwaves through England's top flight in the 2012/13 season, but then swiftly disappeared only to become a forgotten memory to the vast footballing world.
At one point in time, the Spanish forward was the talk of the town, the name on everyone's lips, and deservedly so!
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He joined Swansea City from Rayo Vallecano in July 2012 and set the Premier League alight with a fantastic season in which he netted 18 EPL goals, and ended fifth on the top scorers chart. It was also the season that saw Swansea lift the League Cup.
After that, however, he never reached the same heights again, despite a loan stint at Napoli before returning to Spain where he ended his career.
His performances during the 12/13 campaign saw his popularity skyrocket to the point that he became an idol for one of the best strikers in the world today.
That's right... Michu was one of the players Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland looked up to before breaking into the world of professional football himself.
?? Reporter: "Who was your idol growing up?"?? Erling Håland: "Michu. I loved watching him at Swansea. He played with his left foot, he was tall and a clinical finisher."Håland used to tag Michu on all of his Instagrams. ?? pic.twitter.com/s0PSNs9hFI
— Football Tweet ?? (@Football__Tweet) February 21, 2020
When asked how it feels to have been idolised by one of the best strikers in the world during a recent interview with the Welsh club, Michu insisted that "it's an honour", and pegged the Norwegian to be the "best striker in the world for a lot of years".
That recognition from Haaland demonstrates what a popular figure he became after his first season with Swansea.
In fact, he became a cult hero for most of the team's fans and will always be in their hearts, with the former striker revealing that he holds the same fondness towards the club and its supporters, and highlighted his desire to one day return.
@swansofficial The streets will never forget ?? #Michu #SwanseaCity #Swansea #Football #Championship ? original sound - Swansea City AFC
He was a problem for the league's top teams in that famed season too, burying chances against sides such as Arsenal, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur.
He displayed the ultimate striker's instinct, getting his head on to balls that were catapulted into the box, making runs in behind defences, getting in to the right spots for tap-ins, and displaying a clinical finishing ability in one-on-one situations.
During that period, he was a nightmare for defenders. It was as though he was the foreshadowing of Haaland.
@nvn26.edits Spisode 7 - do you remember Michu ? ???? #michu #swanseacity #footballedits #footballassist #futeboledit #englishfootball ? nh?c n?n - nvn26.edits
Michu ended up retiring at Spanish club Real Oviedo in 2017, but has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the beautiful game.
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