Absent from UEFA EURO 2008 with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for a year and a half, Tomáš Rosický returned to skipper the Czech Republic to the 2012 finals, starting nine of the ten qualifiers and reaching 85 caps in the process. The Arsenal FC schemer is a tricky technician, capable of playing anywhere in midfield.

• Emerged with AC Sparta Praha aged 19, playing in 12 UEFA Champions League matches; won the Czech title in each of his first two seasons, leaving halfway through the third to join Borussia Dortmund.

• Earned an international call-up in his debut season and was chosen for UEFA EURO 2000, where he started two matches; his strong showing at UEFA EURO 2004 was surpassed at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, when he scored two stunning goals in the opening group game against the United States.

• Won the Bundesliga and reached the UEFA Cup final in his first full season at Dortmund; played alongside fellow Czech international Jan Koller for five seasons, scoring 20 goals in 149 Bundesliga outings.

• Joined Arsenal after the 2006 FIFA World Cup and scored the winner on his UEFA Champions League debut for the Gunners against Hamburger SV – his first return to Germany.

• Had struck nine goals in 44 Premier League appearances until a career-threatening hamstring injury sustained against Newcastle United FC in January 2008 sidelined him for 18 months; scored on his comeback, at Manchester City FC, on 12 September 2009.

• Rewarded with a new Arsenal contract in March 2012 after a series of strong displays domestically and in the UEFA Champions League, where he scored in a man-of-the-match performance as the Gunners so nearly overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit against AC Milan in the round of 16.

UEFA honours
UEFA Cup: runner-up 2002