Position: Defender
Born: 19.03.81
Club: Arsenal

A familar face to viewers in England, Kolo Toure joined Arsenal from ASEC Abidjan in 2002, two years after making his Ivory Coast debut.

He was originally signed as cover for Lauren at right-back, but in his first season at Highbury he found himself in a variety of roles, mainly in midfield.

In his second season, though, he surprised everybody by turning out to be a first-class centre-back and formed a rock-solid pairing with Sol Campbell as Arsenal won the title without losing a game.

Freakishly strong and able to outmuscle practically any striker, Toure is also a fine athlete who has plenty of pace and energy.

His timing in the tackle is excellent, and his experience in midfield means his distribution is good for a defender - he can start attacks with his passing and if he gets the chance to join them he has a thunderous shot.

A hugely important figure in the Ivorian set-up, Toure will hope to put an iffy season for the Gunners behind him in Germany this summer.

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