Emanuel Villa arrived at Pride Park in January 2008 for a fee of £2m after agreeing a three-and-a-half-year deal.

The Argentinian hit-man was in good form for Mexican side UAG Tecos with ten goals in 28 Primera División de México appearances before his move.

Villa started his career at Club Atlético Huracán in the Primera Division Argentina in 2001 before being transferred two years later to Atlético Rafaela.

Following Rafaela's relegation, Villa returned to the Primera the following season and joined Rosario Central.

In 2006 he was signed by Atlas in Guadalajara, scoring 14 goals in just 25 games before moving to UAG Tecos for the Clausura 2007 tournament.

Villa prefers to be known as Tito, rather than Emanuel, as it was his childhood nickname adoped via his grandfather in Argentina - who was called Ernesto, but was abbreviated to Tito.

He scored his first goal in a Rams shirt with a deft header to earn Derby a late draw at Birmingham City on February 2.

Goals two and three arrived in the 2-2 draw at home to Fulham on March 29, and his first of 2008/09 - yet another header - wrapped up the 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers in September 2008.

This season he has a Carling Cup hat-trick to his name, in the 4-1 win at Brighton & Hove Albion, as well as the equaliser in the 1-1 Coca-Cola Championship draw at home to Nottingham Forest.

Last updated: December 23 2008.