A tall central defender who began his career in midfield, Stelios Malezas played no part in Greece's qualification for UEFA EURO 2012 but made his debut in November 2011 and has emerged as a candidate for Fernando Santos's squad following an impressive run for his club PAOK FC, notably in the UEFA Europa League.

• Born in Katerini, he joined PAOK as an 18-year-old, making his senior debut for the club in 2005/06 after a season on loan to third-tier Irodotos FC.

• Featured sporadically over the next two terms but became a regular in the side under coach Fernando Santos in 2008/09, making 24 Super League appearances and scoring one goal.

• Remained a stalwart in central defence under the same coach in 2009/10, at the start of which he made his European debut in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League against Vålerenga Fotball.

• Called up to Greece's 2010 FIFA World Cup squad despite being uncapped, he remained on the bench throughout the tournament; finally made his debut on 15 November 2011 in a friendly against Romania.

• Injured for much of the 2010/11 campaign, he re-emerged as a force in 2011/12, starting all six of PAOK's UEFA Europa League group games and helping them top a section that included FC Rubin Kazan and Tottenham Hotspur FC.