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      Man Utd have 88 former academy stars still playing, including a World Cup winner, but how many can you name?

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      MANCHESTER United has historically possessed the greatest academy in English football.Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs are just some of the world-famous superstars who have emerged from the club’s legendary youth system.
      The Class of 92 all went on to have extraordinary careers at Man UtdCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Incredibly, Man United featured a homegrown player in every single matchday squad for 85 years, a run which started on Saturday 30 October 1937.
      And amazingly, there are 88 players currently playing around the world who are graduates of the Old Trafford academy.
      The CIES Football Observatory research team have tracked their progress in more than 50 leagues around the world.
      And they have worked out there are 88 former players in the world still playing.

      They have also worked out that these players are worth a conservative total of £115m.
      Here’s the list in full, with the player’s current club and the CIES’ estimated transfer value in euros.
      Marcus Rashford, Man Utd, €47.1m
      Scott McTominay, Man Utd, €35.6m
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      Anthony Elanga, Man Utd, €30.8m
      Andreas Pereira, Fulham, €14.2m
      Angel Gomes, Lille, €13m
      Rashford scored on his 2016 debut against Midtjylland and has never looked backCredit: AFP or licensors
      Pogba worked through the youth ranks, then shone at JuventusCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Paul Pogba, Juventus, €11.8m
      James Garner, Everton, €8.5m
      Adnan Januzaj, Basaksehir, €8.3m
      Largie Ramazani, Almeria, €7.3m
      Michael Kean, Everton, €5m
      Patrick McNair, Middlesbrough, €4.9m
      Jimmy Dunne, QPR, €4.8m
      Dean Henderson, Nottm Forest, €4.6m
      Danny Welbeck, Brighton, €3.9m
      Hannibal Mejbri, Birmingham, €3.9m
      Tahith Chong, Birmingham, €3m
      Danny Welbeck is still performing for Brighton and Hove AlbionCredit: Alamy
      Ethan Laird, QPR, €2.9m
      Dylan Levitt, Dundee Utd, €2.7m
      Sam Johnstone, Crystal Palace, €2.7m
      Brandon Williams, Man Utd, €2.5m
      Joshua King, Fenerbahce, €2.3m
      Amau Puigman, Almeria, €2m
      Tom Lawrence, Rangers, €1.9m
      Joe Rothwell, Bournemouth, €1.7m
      Jonny Evans, Leicester, €1.5m
      Jesse Lingard, Nottm Forest, €1.5m
      Jordan Thompson, Stoke, €1.4m
      Oliver Rathbone, Rotherham, €1.3m
      Oliver Norwood, Sheff Utd, €1.3m
      George Tanner, Bristol City, €1.2m
      Ravel Morrison, DC United, €1.2m
      Nicolas Ioannou, Como, €1.1m
      Tosin Kehinde, Randers, €900,000
      William Fish, Hibernian, €900,000
      William Keane, Wigan, €900,000
      Kenji Gorre, Boavista, €800,000
      Matty James, Bristol City, €800,000
      Charlie McCann, Forest Green Rovers, €800,000
      Oliver Denham, Cardiff, €700,000
      Ben Pearson, Stoke, €700,000
      Ravel Morrison and Jesse Lingard are both former United graduatesCredit: Action Images – Reuters
      Tom Cleverley never lived up to Fergie’s hopes of replacing ScholesCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Magnus Eikrem, Molde, €700,000
      Di’Shon Bernard, Portsmouth, €600,000
      Teden Mengi, Man Utd, €600,000
      Craig Cathcart, Watford, €600,000
      Ethan Hamilton, Accrington Stanley, €600,000
      Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Bayer Leverkusen, €500,000
      Martin Šviderský, Almeria, €500,000
      Ashley Fletcher, Wigan, €500,000
      Lee O’Connor, Tranmere, €500,000
      Ethan Galbraith, Salford, €500,000
      Shola Shoretire, Bolton, €400,000
      Nishan Burkart, FC Winterthur, €400,000
      Scott Wootton, Wellington Phoenix, €400,000
      Sean Goss, Motherwell, €400,000
      D’Mani Bughail-Mellor, Rochdale, €300,000
      Robert Brady, Preston, €300,000
      Thomas Sang, Cardiff, €300,000
      Harvey Neville, Inter Miami, €300,000
      Ron-Robert Zieler, Hannover 96, €300,000
      Ryan Tunnicliffe, Portsmouth, €300,000
      Ro-Shaun Williams, Doncaster, €300,000
      Tyler Reid, VPS Vaasa, €300,000
      Corry Evans, Sunderland, €300,000
      Ben Amos, Wigan, €300,000
      Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Burton, €200,000
      Tyler Blackett, FC Cincinnati, €200,000
      Tom Cleverley, Watford, €200,000
      Max Taylor, Rochdale, €200,000
      Indy Boonen, KV Oostende, €200,000
      Reece Devine, Swindon, £€200,000
      Donald Love, Morecambe, €200,000
      Demetri Mitchell, Exeter, €200,000
      Former Man Utd starlet Tahith Chong is now playing for Birmingham
      Borthwick-Jackson showed so much promise in 2015-16 but is now at BurtonCredit: Reuters
      James Wilson, Port Vale, €200,000
      Federico Macheda, APOEL, €200,000
      Aidan Barlow, Doncaster, €200,000
      Tyrell Warren, Barrow, €200,000
      James Chester, Derby, €100,000
      Kieran O’Hara, Colchester, €100,000
      Aliou Traoré, Goztepe SK, €100,000
      Tom Heaton, Man Utd, €100,000
      Matthew Olosunde, Preston, €100,000
      Joël Pereira, RAC Waalwijk, €100,000
      Josh Harrop, Northampton, €100,000
      Luke Hendrie, Bradford, €100,000
      Liam Grimshaw, Greenock Morton, €100,000
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      Kieran Lee, Bolton, €100,000
      Phillip Bardsley, Stockport, €100,000 More

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      Nottingham Forest watching Norwich defender Andrew Omobamidele as Steve Cooper lines up another transfer binge

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      NOTTINGHAM FOREST sent scouts to monitor Norwich’s young centre-half Andrew Omobamidele.Forest will be looking for more defenders if they stay in the top flight and boss Steve Cooper likes the Republic of Ireland prospect.
      Nottingham Forest have been scouting Republic of Ireland international Andrew OmobamideleCredit: Sportsfile
      The 20-year-old already has 40 senior appearances under his belt with Norwich as well as two goals.
      He has also earned five caps for the Republic of Ireland.
      The Canaries could cash in on Omobamidele, who would leap at the chance of being tested at the Premier League level.
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      The Reds’ experienced centre-half Steve Cook, 31, may be heading out of the door and they will need new faces at the back.
      Former Canaries manager Dean Smith was a big fan of the player during his time at the club.
      When in charge, he said of Omobamidele: “He is an accomplished player.
      “He is going to be a really big player for us and that is one of the really big positives that he has come through this game.”
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      He is the latest star to come out of the Norwich academy, which has produced impressive stars such as James Maddison, Ben Godfrey and Max Aarons in recent times.
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      Forest have signed 30 players since their promotion to the Premier League last summer.
      And so far the plan seems to have worked as the club are sitting in 13th position four points clear of the relegation zone. More

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      West Ham and Leicester in £25m transfer tussle for Leverkusen’s Odilon Kossounou after Hammers’ failed deadline day bid

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      WEST HAM and Leicester are ready to fight it out for Bayer  Leverkusen’s powerful centre-half Odilon Kossounou.The Ivory Coast international wants to leave the Bundesliga club.
      West Ham and Leicester will battle for Bayer Leverkusen’s Odilon KossounouCredit: Getty
      And both Premier League teams are on his trail for next season.
      Kossounou, 22, was one of the most wanted defenders around when he went to Germany from Bruges two years ago.
      But he has fallen out of favour this campaign and now the commanding player has his sights on England.
      The Hammers are set to renew their interest after boss David Moyes failed in a loan bid for him at the end of the January window.
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      The Foxes are keen as manager Brendan Rodgers wants another centre-half, despite landing Harry Souttar from Stoke.
      Nottingham Forest are also keeping an eye on developments.
      They initially inquired about Kossounou’s team-mate Jonathan Tah in January and were turned down.
      Leverkusen will look for £25million.
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      But both West Ham and Leicester will want to get that fee down and even try a loan-to-buy arrangement.
      There would be no work permit problems for Kossounou and his wages are not huge.
      The player is keen on a fresh start and his priority will be to play regularly for his next club. More

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      Wayne Rooney lists the THREE biggest things Erik ten Hag has changed at Man Utd to turn them into title contenders

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      WAYNE ROONEY believes Erik ten Hag has changed three things at Manchester United to turn his former club back into title contenders. The Red Devils appear to be back in genuine contention for a run at the league for the first time in a decade after going through several years of turmoil under different managers.
      Rooney has been impressed with what he’s seen at Old Trafford this seasonCredit: Alamy
      Erik ten Hag has engineered a remarkable transformation at Manchester UnitedCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      United legend Rooney was part of the last truly successful squad when United ruled England under Sir Alex Ferguson.
      But ten Hag is making great progress in his mission to drag the club back to where they once belonged with tomorrow’s cup final coming days after an epic European tussle with Barcelona.
      Rooney said three important factors had been altered under the Dutch coach.
      He told ESPN: “I think he’s changed the mindset and the confidence and belief of the players, that they’re actually a good team, and I think people are starting to see that this season, and they’re in a good position.
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      “He’s exactly what Manchester United have needed for a few years now.
      “They’re five points off the top spot (before Arsenal’s win at Leicester), you know there’s still a lot of games to go… so you never know.”
      Rooney, 37, also had special praise for Marcus Rashford who is in the best form of his career.
      The 25-year-old has 17 goals in his last 18 games and, like Rooney before, wears the no.10 shirt.
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      Rooney, now manager of DC United, said: “He’s doing fantastic. He’s a top player, and he’s shown that early in his career.
      “He had a bit of a dip over the last couple of seasons so it’s important to go back to his strengths.
      “Being direct, being aggressive, being confident in front of goal, and I felt he wasn’t confident for a while actually, but this season he’s back to his best.”
      United remain in the hunt for the quadruple in ten Hag’s first season in charge.
      They have league leaders Arsenal in their sights, face West Ham in the FA Cup, have Real Betis as their next Europa League opponents.
      More immediately, they face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley as they look for their first trophy in almost five years. More

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      Graham Potter reveals WhatsApp chats with Antonio Conte as under-fire Chelsea boss gears up for must-win Spurs clash

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      GRAHAM POTTER is never going to mimic Antonio Conte’s madcap antics on the touchline.But some words of wisdom from Tottenham manager Conte could help him through his troubles at Chelsea.
      Graham Potter revealed he keeps in contact with Antonio Conte after the Italian offered him advice while he was at BrightonCredit: Reuters
      Conte will be absent from the Chelsea match as he continues recovering from surgeryCredit: PA
      The Blues boss revealed how Conte — who won the title and FA Cup at Chelsea — reached out offering advice to him as a young coach forging his path.
      Potter, who on Friday laid bare the sickening emails he received wishing him and his family dead, said: “I spoke to him when I was at Brighton and we’ve had conversations.
      “We have kept in contact from a distance. He’s someone I’ve admired a lot as a coach.
      “I like how his teams are organised and then when you meet him, he’s a gentleman.
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      “He has the passion but he has always been good to me.
      “It was about doing your best today and not necessarily thinking too much about the future or the past.
      “It was something that was on his WhatsApp message.
      “I think it was when they beat us — he didn’t send any when we’d won!”
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      It is advice Potter will certainly be leaning on as he battles through a rough run at Stamford Bridge.
      The Blues aim to bounce back from last weekend’s desperate 1-0 home defeat by Southampton at Spurs tomorrow.
      Conte will not be on the touchline as he continues to recover from gallbladder surgery back home in Italy.
      And the technical area will be a much calmer place in his absence.
      Potter was criticised by ex-players and pundits following Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at West Ham for not raging at officials over some dubious decisions.
      Conte is one man who certainly would have lost his rag in order to put pressure on the referee.
      But Potter will not change his calm approach, even though he is full of praise for the way the Italian carries himself.
      He added: “Antonio has had an amazing career and I have huge respect for him as a coach and also as a man — I really like him.
      “I’ll be missing Antonio and I wish him a speedy recovery.
      “Do I respect his fiery side? Absolutely, yes. Because he is himself and I don’t look at how he is and look down on him in any way.
      “Anyone who is a different person to me, I don’t think, ‘Oh, I’m better than them’, because that totally isn’t true.
      “The best person to be Antonio Conte is Antonio Conte. The best person to be Graham Potter is Graham Potter. That’s just how I see it.
      “Everyone is different and you can’t help who you are. That’s just life.
      “Of course, you can play a role and you can do stuff but you have to be yourself. However, it isn’t nice then when people start to criticise you for being you — because I can’t help being me.
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      “And it’s certainly gone well. I started off in the ninth tier of English football so it’s not so easy to get to this point.
      “You have to have some resilience, passion, emotion, courage — something that gets you to this point.” More

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      Man Utd fans rage at ‘Glazer agent’ Wayne Rooney as club legend praises ‘FANTASTIC’ owners

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      MANCHESTER UNITED fans have been left raging at “Glazer agent” Wayne Rooney.That’s after he hailed the controversial Americans as “fantastic” owners.
      Wayne Rooney believes the Glazers have done a top job at Man UtdCredit: Getty
      Rooney has risked the wrath of United fans with his commentsCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      The Glazers took charge at United in 2005 and failed to win over fans after racking up around £500million of debt.
      But times look set to change at Old Trafford after it was announced the Glazers are looking to sell.
      Bids have come in from around the world, with British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and a Qatari group at the forefront.
      And their new owners could be in place for a mega summer spend after Erik ten Hag’s impressive turnaround on the pitch.
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      However, one man believes the Glazers have actually been a force for good during their time at United.
      Former Red Devils skipper Rooney, now manager of MLS side DC United, was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2004, when the Glazers owned minority shares.
      He was witness to the Glazer takeover a year later and some of the success that followed, including five titles and the 2008 Champions League.
      Risking the wrath of supporters, Rooney claims the Glazers have always provided money for managers to sign the players of their choice.
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      And he hopes whoever takes over at United are equally committed to backing bosses with transfer cash.
      Rooney said: “Firstly, I think the Glazers have done a fantastic job, they’ve been at the club for, well they signed me in 2004, so they’ve been at the club for 20 years now and I think they’ve always allowed managers to bring the players in they want.
      “I think it’s clear the fans want change and obviously it looks like the Glazers are open for that change to come with putting the club up for sale and receiving the bids they have received, so hopefully they get the right people in. 
      “And it’s people who are going to try to move the club forward.”
      However, fans were left smarting at Rooney’s comments, with some even labelling him a “Glazer agent.”
      One said: “Glazers have done a great job? What was Rooney thinking?”
      Another declared: “Probably a PR figure employed by the club or he’s scared to risk any potential future coaching role.”
      One noted: “He’s a secret Man City fan.”
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      Another added: “Remember when he wanted to leave in 2010 because he felt the owners weren’t showing enough ambition in the transfer window?
      “Wayne love what you did for us but no you’re very wrong here.” More

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      Palace 0 Liverpool 0: Lifeless Reds flop to dire draw in blow to top four hopes as Klopp’s miserable week gets worse

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      THERE is clearly something wrong if you cannot even beat Palace.Jurgen Klopp’s side, still battered and bruised after their Champions League battering by Real Madrid, delivered further proof of the major problems within this team – and why Liverpool will surely struggle to finish in a top four spot.
      Cody Gakpo had the best chance to grab a winnerCredit: Reuters
      Jurgen Klopp’s week went from bad to worseCredit: Reuters
      Jean-Philippe Mateta is one of several Crystal Palace players whose confidence looks shotCredit: PA
      Against Palace, who had not won in any of their seven Premier League matches in 2023, the Reds created a few chances but did not deserve to win.
      Because here in south London was an unbelievably-bad Premier League match between two teams who look shot to pieces.
      Without looking at the table, this meeting of seventh versus 12th could easily have passed for a relegation scrap.
      Klopp enjoyed encouraging wins over Everton and Newcastle but the 5-2 thrashing by Real Madrid was a more accurate reflection of where this team is at.
      Liverpool must surely beat Wolves in their game in hand at Anfield on Wednesday. Equally, if they play like this at home to Manchester United next Sunday, things could get a bit messy.
      Klopp made four changes from the Real match – with Darwin Nunez and Joe Gomez both injured – but it did not really make much difference.
      This Liverpool team still looks unrecognisable from the one which came within a week and two games of winning four trophies last season.
      So many of the players have suffered a huge dip in form and this was a difficult watch although Patrick Vieira’s team did show plenty of commitment.
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      The Reds had a bit more about them when Harvey Elliott replaced Naby Keita for the second half but it was still nowhere near good enough.
      Alisson was guilty of a howler at Anfield on Tuesday and every time the ball was passed to his feet, he treated it like a bomb.
      Admittedly, Klopp has not been helped by injuries though Diogo Jota was welcomed back for a first start since October 16.
      Liverpool have certainly missed the 2021-22 version of Jota who scored 21 times. Although even before his autumn calf injury, the Portuguese international had failed to score in any of his 11 games and he missed a couple of chances here.
      Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is another forward having a tough season, putting it mildly.
      He wasted two great first half chances and considering he had only scored once in 22 games previously, it is no surprise that his confidence also looks to be in ruins.
      Mateta could have got Selhurst Park firing early on when he should have done much better than force a save from Alisson.
      Liverpool were punished for some silly defensive mistakes against Real Madrid and they got away with another one which came after Joel Matip and Trent Alexander-Arnold made a mess of passing it around the back.
      Had that chance fell to Vinicius Jnr, we all know what the outcome would have been.
      Liverpool took 18 minutes to manage a shot on goal and when it came, Jota got some power on the effort but it was straight at Vicente Guaita.
      Jota had an even better chance but one yard out, headed Matip’s clever cross onto the outside of the post.
      What summed up Liverpool’s first half was when Alexander-Arnold’s goal-bound free-kick was deflected wide for a goal-kick by Jordan Henderson.
      Marc Guehi wasted a good chance but missed with a header but the main culprit of the first half for Palace was Mateta who lifted a shot against the bar.
      This came after Jeffrey Schlupp overpowered Alexander-Arnold who once again struggled and there is going to be a point, surely, when Klopp takes him out of the firing line.
      It will be interesting if Gareth Southgate includes the defender in his England squad for the Euro2024 qualifiers against Germany and Ukraine next month.
      Mo Salah fired a first-time shot against the bar at the start of the second half so if you include Jota’s earlier effort, Liverpool have now hit the woodwork 14 times – the same as Newcastle.
      Alexander-Arnold’s cross-shot saved was by Guaita but apart from that, Liverpool created nothing until the final 10 minutes when Cody Gakpo pushed a shot wide when he was clean through.
      For Palace, this was not the worst result in the world even though they are really struggling in the final third.
      Equally, it is now eight League games without a win for Vieira. They have still only managed five points in 2023 and their last win was away to Bournemouth on December 31.
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      A few more games without a win and he will be under major pressure.
      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…

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      Arsenal fans all say the same thing as ‘Saliba pushes Gabriel and pair exchange angry words’ at full-time

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      ARSENAL fans are all saying the same thing after William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes reportedly exchanged angry words after today’s win at Leicester.Gabriel Martinelli scored the only goal of the game as the Gunners maintained their two point lead over Man City at the top of the table.
      William Saliba ‘pushed’ Gabriel Magalahaes after Arsenal’s win at LeicesterCredit: Getty
      Gabriel and Saliba ‘exchanged angry words’ at the final whistleCredit: Getty
      The result saw Arsenal record back-to-back league wins for the first time this month.
      But it was an exchange between defensive partners Saliba and Gabriel that set tongues wagging.
      The duo kept another clean sheet as they limited Leicester to one single shot all game.
      But despite conceding just 23 goals all season, the pair were reportedly caught up in a post-match tussle on the pitch.
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      The Athletic’s James McNicholas said: “A few angry words exchanged between Saliba and Gabriel at full-time. Frenchman appeared to push his partner away. Some sort of disagreement. Sure it’ll blow over.”
      But instead of being worried about the incident, Arsenal fans were instead left delighted.
      That’s because they believed it showed how passionate Saliba and Gabriel were about their own performances despite helping Arsenal to victory.
      One said: “Love this. Clean sheet and they are still unhappy and feel they could do better.”
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      Another declared: “Just shows they’re pushing each other to the best.”
      One noted: “Love that. Standards need to be higher than every and both need to push each other.”
      Another added: “I’m sure it’s more of raise your standards kind of thing, good to see that.”
      Gabriel, 25, was signed by Arsenal from Lille for £27million in 2020.
      He has 10 goals in 101 games for the Gunners.
      And Gabriel has become a key part of Mikel Arteta’s system despite being yet to receive a call-up from Brazil.
      As for Saliba, the 21-year-old joined from Saint-Etienne for £27m in 2019.
      But he then spent the next three seasons out on loan before returning to Arsenal last summer to slot straight into the XI.
      Saliba has two goals in 27 games for Arsenal and has won eight France caps since making his debut last year. More