Clubs: ASEC Abidjan, KSK Beveren, Arsenal FC, Galatasaray SK

UEFA honours
UEFA Champions League: runner-up 2006

• Born in Abidjan, Eboué took the well-worn path from ASEC to Beveren, an established nursery club for young Ivorian talent; he made 70 top-flight appearances for the Belgian outfit, scoring four goals, and also competed in the UEFA Cup.

• Having joined Arsenal in 2004/05, he eventually replaced the injured Lauren and became a pivotal member of the Gunners' unbreachable defence in the UEFA Champions League, helping the club achieve eight successive clean sheets en route to the final against FC Barcelona in Paris.

• First capped by the Ivory Coast in September 2004 in a FIFA World Cup qualifier against Sudan, he was a runner-up at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations and an ever-present at the World Cup finals later that year.

• Increasingly deployed in midfield by Arsenal after the signing of Bacary Sagna in summer 2007, he ended the following campaign with three league goals – his best seasonal tally.

• Celebrated his 50th appearance in European club competition on Matchday 4 of the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League group stage by helping the Gunners to a 4-1 home victory over AZ Alkmaar.

• Used sparingly in Arsenal's 2010/11 Premier League campaign and left the club in a €3.5m transfer to Galatasaray in August 2011.