Once tagged the 'new Zinédine Zidane', Samir Nasri has yet to start a game at a major international tournament but scored the decisive penalty that qualified France for UEFA EURO 2012. Versatile, light on his feet and technically gifted, he was a key contributor to Manchester City FC ending their 44-year wait for the English top-flight title in 2012.

• Like Zidane, Nasri was born in Marseille of Algerian ancestry; joined his home-town club in 2000 and made his Ligue 1 debut on 12 September 2004 in a 2-0 defeat at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard.

• Won the Ligue 1 young player of the year award in 2006/07 and, after playing for various France youth teams and scoring the winner against Spain to clinch the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2004, he received his first senior call-up while still in his teens.

• Scored his first senior international goal on his third appearance – a crucial winner in a UEFA EURO 2008 qualifier against Georgia – but played just 28 minutes at the finals in Austria and Switzerland.

• After four seasons with Marseille, Nasri moved to Arsenal FC in 2008 and scored on his Premier League debut versus West Bromwich Albion FC.

• Overlooked by coach Raymond Domenech for the 2010 FIFA World Cup but was restored by Laurent Blanc for the start of UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying; at club level he contributed a career-best ten league goals in the 2010/11 season.

• Became the fourth player to leave Arsenal for Manchester City since 2009 − the others being Gaël Clichy, Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Touré − when he signed for the Citizens in August 2011 for a fee reportedly in the region of €27m.

UEFA honours
UEFA European Under-17 Championship: winner 2004