Roque Santa Cruz joined Rovers on 28th July 2007 from Bayern Munich. Nicknamed 'Chico', he has proven an instant hit with the Rovers faithful despite some initial scepticism regarding his goalscoring and injury record in Germany. He is a full Paraguay international and is formerly a winner of the 'Player of the Year' award when playing in the domestic league.

Roque made his Rovers debut as a substitute for the injured Benni McCarthy in the season curtain-raiser at Middlesbrough. He made an immediate impact by scoring with an excellent header from a David Bentley cross.