Clubs: FC Flora Tallinn, JK Tervis Pärnu (loan), Aalborg BK, FC Torpedo Moskva, Roda JC, FC Shanghai Shenhua, ADO Den Haag, AEK Larnaca FC

• A hard-working and combative centre-forward, Oper had a trial at Arsenal FC as a youngster but it was with Flora that he made his professional breakthrough in 1994; enjoyed three championship triumphs and two Estonian Cup wins with the club.

• International recognition came in May 1995 as he made his debut against Latvia in the Baltic Cup; scored the first of his Estonian record 36 goals against Sweden in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in June 1997.

• Earned a move to Danish outfit Aalborg in July 1999 and was later joined by Estonia team-mate Indrek Zelinski; finished runner-up in the 1999/2000 Danish Cup.

• Made Russia and Torpedo Moskva his next port of call in 2003 but struggled to make an impact, partly due to injury, and packed his bags for Roda two years later; racked up 12 Eredivisie efforts in his second season and was a losing finalist in the 2008 Dutch Cup showpiece defeat by Feyenoord.

• Tried his luck with Shanghai Shenhua in China in 2009 but was back in the Netherlands six months later – to be reunited with former Roda coach Raymond Atteveld at ADO; another brief spell ended with a summer 2010 move to Larnaca in Cyprus, where he spent one season.

• Collected his 100th cap against Israel in September 2006 and is still active; named Estonian player of the year in 1999, 2002 and 2005.

• Founded his own football academy in Tallinn in 2003 and made an unsuccessful attempt to win a seat in the Estonian parliament in 2007.