Position: Defender
Born: 01.01.72
Club: Juventus

Another veteran, like Zinedine Zidane and Claude Makelele, to return from international retirement to spearhead France's faltering qualification bid, Lilian Thuram in his pomp was widely regarded as the world's finest defender.

One of the unsung heroes of Les Bleus' World Cup and European Championship successes in 1998 and 2000, Thuram was born outside France's borders, moving from Guadeloupe at the age of nine.

He joined Monaco, where he played alongside the likes of Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet, as a teenager before a move to Serie A and Parma in 1996 coincided with his promotion to a regular starter in the national side.

But it wasn't until France 98 that he emerged from the shadows of his more vaunted international team-mates to show the world what a great talent he is.

He single-handedly destroyed Croatia in the semi-final, showing he poses an attacking threat as well as a formidable defensive barrier, as he scored two stunning goals to put France in their first-ever World Cup final.

Thuram impressed so much in the tournament that Aime Jaquet made him a regular member of his side and he has now won over 100 caps.

Able to play at right-back or centre-half, he moved to Juventus for £22million in 2001 to fulfil ambitions of winning silverware and has not been disappointed.

He retired from internationals after Euro 2004 but returned during qualifying and will surely now go on to become France's most-capped player in history.

• 20 David Trezeguet
• 4 Patrick Vieira
• 11 Sylvain Wiltord
• 10 Zinedine Zidane