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Wanchope ready for international swansong
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-05-23 15:14
SAN JOSE, May 23) - Costa Rica's all-time leading scorer Paulo Wanchope hopes to revive his fortunes and end his international career on a high at the World Cup in Germany.

Wanchope has led the Costa Rica attack for nearly a decade and has already announced that the tournament will be his international swansong.

The lanky 29-year-old overtook former team mate Rolando Fonseca when he scored his 43rd international goal in the 3-0 win over the United States last October, the game which clinched Costa Rica's place in Germany.

Despite his build, Wanchope has excellent close control and says he owes his nimble footwork to the fact that he played basketball in his youth.

Although he scored eight goals in the qualifiers, Wanchope goes into the tournament at something of a low in his career.

Having played for English clubs Derby County, West Ham and Manchester City, Wanchope moved to Malaga to try his luck in Spain for the 2004-05 season. Typically, he had mixed fortunes.

The high point was an astonishing goal against Numancia which was reminiscent of Pele's 1958 World Cup final masterpiece.

He failed to win the confidence of coach Antonio Tapia, however, and never appeared to recover after being involved in a scuffle with Malaga fans who racially insulted him following a match with Real Betis.

A move to Qatari club Al-Gharafa appeared to accelerate the downward slide and he looked completely off the pace when he returned to play for his country against Mexico last August.

In January, he returned home to sign for Herediano, the club where he began his career but they were knocked out of the Clausura championship before he could make an impact.

He will be looking to put all that right when the World Cup gets underway.