Versatility and dependability are the chief assets of Olympiacos FC captain Vassilis Torossidis. He also has a happy knack of scoring important goals – as he did against Nigeria at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first player to register a winning goal for Greece on football's biggest stage. He also featured at UEFA EURO 2008

• Made his Super League debut for home-town club Skoda Xanthi FC in April 2003 aged 17; a gradual increase in activity at Xanthi resulted in a breakthrough 2005/06 season, during which he made his European debut in the UEFA Cup first round against Middlesbrough FC.

• Switched to Olympiacos midway through the 2006/07 campaign and made his debut for Greece a few weeks later – as a second-half substitute in a 4-1 home defeat by Turkey; started each of the next seven UEFA EURO 2008 qualifiers, becoming Greece's first-choice left-back, a role he also filled in two of the team's three matches at the finals.

• His first two full seasons at Olympiacos both yielded league and cup doubles; made seven appearances in his debut UEFA Champions League campaign, helping the Piraeus club gain their first away wins in the competition and a place in the first knockout round.

• Missed both legs of the 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off against Ukraine with a knee injury but featured in all three matches at the finals in South Africa; was on target twice in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying, both times scoring the only goal in victories against Latvia and Malta.

• A title winner again in 2010/11, he contributed to another double success for Olympiacos the following campaign, during which he passed a century of Super League appearances for the Athens side.