Blackburn Rovers made stunning £14m profit on transfer deal - he’s still playing at the age of 44 | OneFootball

Blackburn brought in Roque Santa Cruz and made a big profit on the striker after he signed for Man City.

Blackburn are enduring a tough period in their history, with many fans feeling a change in ownership is needed for the club to kick on.

It’s difficult for Rovers to be languishing in the Championship, as they boast a proud history, which memorably includes winning the Premier League in 1995.

More recently, they were a regular fixture in the top-flight in the 2000s, and the 2007/08 campaign was a particularly memorable one, as Blackburn finished 7th under Mark Hughes.

Roque Santa Cruz proved to be a shrewd signing for Blackburn

During that period under the Welshman, Rovers were known for bringing in some real quality players, and that includes Roque Santa Cruz.

The Paraguayan was always a big name in his home country after leaving Olimpia for Bayern Munich at just 17-years-old.

Whilst he would play his part in the Bavarian giants winning five Bundesliga titles in the next eight years, Santa Cruz didn’t get the regular first-team football he wanted, so a move to Ewood Park was finalised in the summer of 2007 for over £3m.

Despite his good pedigree, few at Blackburn could’ve expected Santa Cruz to adapt to English football in the manner he did.

At 6ft 4, the South American was always going to have the physicality to cope in his new surroundings, but Santa Cruz surprised many with just how good a footballer he was.

He instantly became the ideal focal point for Hughes’ side, capable of bringing others into play with his excellent touch, and he would score all different types of goals.

In total, he found the net 19 times in his first season at the club, with Emmanuel Adebayor, Fernando Torres and Cristiano Ronaldo the only players to beat that number.

Roque Santa Cruz has had mixed success since leaving Blackburn

Unfortunately for Rovers, such form meant that Santa Cruz was always going to attract attention, even though he couldn’t replicate that form in his second season at the club.

A switch to Man City was agreed in 2009, with the big-spending Citizens splashing out over £17m to sign Santa Cruz, which represented around £14m profit for Rovers.

In truth, that first campaign with Blackburn was the high point for Santa Cruz’s career at a top level, as he seriously struggled at City.

A brief return on loan to Blackburn couldn’t see Santa Cruz rediscover the magic, and he had spells in Spain with Real Betis and Malaga, as well as a stint in Mexico with Cruz Azul, before returning to Paraguay in 2016 with Olimpia - the club where it began for the striker.

Roque Santa Cruz continues to play in Paraguay at 44-years old

Santa Cruz helped the club to several domestic trophies, before joining Club Libertad in 2022, and, incredibly, he is still playing football right now in the Paraguayan top-flight at 44-years old.

That is testament to the professionalism and fitness of Santa Cruz, and it means he is one of the oldest players still playing in a top division across the entire world.

It remains to be seen how long Santa Cruz sticks at it, but it’s fair to say he has had a remarkable career that has brought plenty of success.

All connected to Blackburn will remember his huge contribution on the pitch, and even though his stay was short but sweet, it remains a really impressive bit of business by the club.