Premier League icons - Emmanuel Eboué

EMMANUEL EBOUE
Games/Goals
Arsenal: 132/4
Sunderland: 0/0
Premier League titles (0): None

Right-back Eboue followed the well-worn track of Ivorian players from ASEC Abidjan to Belgian side Beveren, which had become a key pipeline for players from the country to get to Europe.

He spent two seasons in Belgium before manager Arsene Wenger brought him to Arsenal in the 2004/05 season, though he had to bide his time, making just a single Premier League appearance. He did, however, play three times as The Gunners won the 2005 FA Cup.

He got more game-time the following season after Lauren was injured and after that was a regular for the side as an industrious attacking wingback who became famous for his forays forward.

He started the 2006 UEFA Champions League final that arsenal lost to Barcelona, and a move further forward as a genuine right-winger followed in the 2007/08 season when the North London club signed right-back Bacary Sagna.

The following season he scored three of his four Premier League goals as he reveled in the more attacking role, though as the seasons went on he moved back into a conventional right-back position.

Eboue signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal at the start of the 2010/11 season, but changes within the squad meant he left after that season, signing for Turkish giants Galatasaray, where he spent four seasons.

He signed for Sunderland in March 2016 as he eyed a return to the Premier League, but two weeks later was banned for a year by FIFA for failing to pay a former agent and never kicked a ball for the Black Cats.