NEW Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino is a former Argentinian international, who spent most of his playing career in France and Spain.

He will be best known in the UK for giving away the penalty in the 2002 World Cup against Michael Owen, which David Beckham despatched for a 1-0 England win.

The central defender joined Espanyol from Newell's Old Boys in Argentina in 1994, spending seven years at the Catalan club and winning the Copa del Rey in 2000.

After Espanyol he played for PSG and Bordeaux, but returned to Espanyol, where he remained until 2006, when he hung up his boots aged 34, having played 300 games for the team, over the two spells he spent there.

He began his coaching career in 2009, steering the side from the relegation places in January to a final mid-table position and again the following year.

He was sacked in November last year as the side struggled at the wrong end of La Liga.

In his international career, he played 20 times for Argentina, appearing in the Copa America and 2002 World Cup.