William Gallas
Gallas (left) playing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Éric Gallas | ||
| Date of birth | 17 August 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Asnières-sur-Seine, France | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1987–1992 | AVG Football | ||
| 1992–1993 | RCF Paris | ||
| 1992–1994 | INF Clairefontaine | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1997 | Caen | 34 | (0) |
| 1997–2001 | Marseille | 84 | (2) |
| 2001–2006 | Chelsea | 159 | (13) |
| 2006–2010 | Arsenal | 101 | (12) |
| 2010–2013 | Tottenham Hotspur | 61 | (1) |
| 2013–2014 | Perth Glory | 15 | (1) |
| Total | 453 | (29) | |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1997 | France U20 | 3 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | France U21 | 11 | (0) |
| 2002–2010 | France | 84 | (5) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16 March 2014. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22 June 2010 |
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William Éric Gallas (French pronunciation: [wiljam ɡalas]; born 17 August 1977) is a retired French footballer who played as a defender. He played most of his footballing career in France and England before finishing his career in Australia with A-League club Perth Glory. Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006. He then signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 2010.
While his career has been successful, including Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006, Gallas has also had controversy due to on-field behaviour and friction with other personnel. In 2007, he was named Arsenal's captain, but was removed from the role during the 2008–09 season after criticising teammates in a media interview. He left Arsenal at the end of the 2009–10 season, when his contract expired, later signing for rivals Tottenham. He was released at the end of the 2012–13 season when his contract expired. He retired from professional football on 16 October 2014.
Gallas was born in Asnières-sur-Seine. He is the cousin of the deceased former footballer Ludovic Quistin and of Mathieu Bastareaud, a French rugby union centre playing for RC Toulon.
A graduate of the French football academy Clairefontaine, Gallas started his professional career at second division Caen, helping them to promotion as champions in 1996. He subsequently transferred to Marseille in 1997, where he played for four seasons. He made his debut in the UEFA Champions League for Marseille, scoring his first goal in European competition in a 1–0 defeat of then European champions Manchester United at the Stade Vélodrome in October 2000.
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