Ten things you need to know about Anfield assassin: Andrey Arshavin

Andrey Arshavin put a huge dent in Liverpool's title charge by scoring four scores for the first time in his career in Arsenal's 4-4 draw at Anfield.

Here Sportsmail takes a look at Russia's star of Euro 2008, the man Arsene Wenger endured a torturous pursuit of in the winter and reveals 10 things you need to know about the man signed for £12million from Zenit St Petersburg.

From talented draughts player to one of the hottest properties in world football, here is all you need to know about the 27-year-old...

1) Andrey Sergeyevich Arshavin was born in St Petersburg - then called Leningrad - on May 29, 1981.

2) As a schoolboy, he showed great promise as a draughts player before turning his full attention to football.

3) While at university he wrote a thesis on sportswear production, but dismissed his decision to study for a diploma in fashion design as an opportunity to meet girls.

4) As a boy, he fell in love with the Barcelona team coached by Holland legend Johan Cruyff and had previously said moving to the Nou Camp would be his dream. Now he says he will probably be at the Emirates till the end of his career

5) Arshavin made his debut for Zenit St Petersburg when coming on as a substitute against Bradford at Valley Parade on August 2, 2000. The Russians won the InterToto Cup semi-final match 3-0.

6) He scored 71 goals in 310 games for Zenit, while for Russia he has scored 15 in 43 caps. With Zenit he won the Russian Premier League title in 2007, the League Cup in 2003, and the UEFA Cup, European Super Cup and Russian Super Cup in 2008.

Idols: Former Barcelona boss Johan Cruyff and a dream team of Nou Camp legends he put together for a friendly in 1999

7) Individually he has won a number of player of the year awards and was ranked the sixth best player in the world in 2008 for the Ballon d'Or - won by Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

8) Arshavin once stood for local elections in St Petersburg for the United Russia party led by Vladimir Putin (right) but withdrew his candidacy before a vote was cast.

9) The Communists of Leningrad group accused Arshavin of being a 'traitor' for his desire to leave the country. Berating him for 'putting up his body for sale for greedy Western clubs', they warned: 'If you want to sign for any Western team you will lose your spiritual connection to Mother Russia and Russians will never forgive you.'

A star is born: Andrei Arshavin scores past Edwin van der Sar as Russia beat Holland 3-1 at Euro 2008

10) Arshavin has a son and daughter with his long-term partner Yulia. Although they are not actually married, he calls her his wife. She recently revealed that she and her three-year-old boy Artem were almost killed in a hot-air balloon flight that went wrong in January.

Where it all began: Arshavin made his professional debut at Bradford's Valley Parade