Joaquin was breastfed until he was six, rejected Man United and could now hurt them further

Joaquin, who turns 42 this year, is still churning out top performances for Spanish side Real Betis and will be part of the group to travel to Old Trafford this week in the hope of piling more misery on the Red Devils after their 7-0 thumping at the hands of Liverpool.

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It would be quite a story 19 years after the Spanish star snubbed a move to Old Trafford in 2004, a deal that would have seen him replace David Beckham instead of Cristiano Ronaldo.

They journeyman is expected to retire this summer following a career that has spanned more than 22 seasons with the winger making more than 880 senior appearances in that time.

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As well as winning three Copa del Rey titles and scoring 115 goals in his career, Joaquin is renowned for being an eccentric character who is just as popular off the pitch as he is on it.

Joaquin grew up in a big family and is the third oldest of eight siblings, but it's his close relationship with his mum that turned heads as he was growing up.

Praising his genetics for his longevity in football, he also revealed that he was breastfed until the age of six, something he credits for his ability to stave off injuries.

He once cheerfully joked: "When we played football in the town square, the other lads would run to the water fountain for a drink; I ran to my mum's tits."

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While always a gifted footballer, Joaquin had other talents growing up with his uncle tipping to become a star bullfighter, paying for his trips between between Cádiz and Seville so he could develop his skills.

Ultimately, it was football that came out on top, but his uncle - nicknamed El Chino and whom passed away in 2002 - continues to be seen by the Spanish star as a mentor with Joaquin regularly paying tribute to him.

If you ask any football supporter in Spain, Joaquin is regarded as one of the most popular players to come out of the country this millennium.

This was perfectly summed up by a rather bizarre appearance on Spanish talk show El Hormiguero in which he made headlines for hypnotising a chicken, much to the surprise of those who were taken aback by his most bizarre talent.

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It's hard to believe he was a part of the Spain squad for the 2002 World Cup, the same tournament that saw Ronaldinho lob England goalkeeper David Seaman with his infamous cross-shot free-kick.

That longevity couldn't have been predicted during his early days with Real Betis, something El Pais journalist Rafael Pineda highlighted with an anecdote about a night out that went too far.

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He said: "He's stayed playing so long because he has a privileged set of genes," Pineda says. "The doctors at Betis always say that he is an athletic specimen. He has perfect musculature. It's amazing because when he was young, he never took care of himself. He didn't eat well. He went out late at night. He never rested, although now he's different.

"I remember one time when he was young, he went out all night. There was a nightclub here in Seville that had a dust floor. So the next morning he arrived at training, and his shoes were all yellow. When Lorenzo Serra Ferrer, who was the club's coach, saw him he asked where had he come from because his shoes were caked in this yellow dust. Joaquin said he had come running cross-country! He was still drunk. Serra forgive him, and he allowed him to rest."

However, Joaquin is a different beast now, doing yoga sessions In 40-degree heat in order to make sure that he can continue competing at the top end of the game for as long as possible.

Most renowned for being a winger, Joaquin has also managed to emulate Ryan Giggs by retraining himself as a central midfielder, something that has aided his career over the 22 years so far.

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But unlike Giggs, running was never his thing. "When you see stats [about kilometres run players], all it means is someone spent all game chasing the ball. The more you run, the worse it is."

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While his trophy cabinet is perhaps a bit more bare than he'd have liked after successful spells with Valencia and Fiorentina, a victory in the Spanish Copa del Rey with his beloved Real Betis contributed towards the happiest day of his life.

That was because on the day he married the love of his life, Susana Saborido, with the Copa Del Rey trophy also in attendance.

That cup win in 2005 was the first of just three in his career to date, but with just a matter of months likely to remain in his career, Joaquin will be desperate to add one more trophy to his cabinet.

With a Europa League clash with Manchester United coming up, the 41-year-old will be desperate to claim a major scalp in Erik ten Hag's side as he looks to use his valuable experience to help Betis to go all the way.

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If he can, there'll be few who will begrudge the veteran star from shining one last time in the limelight of the European game.