Gaël Clichy

Infobox Football biography
playername = Gaël Clichy


fullname = Gaël Clichy
height = height|m=1.81 [cite web|title=Gael Clichy Profile|publisher=Sky Sports|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/player/0,19754,11670_275505,00.html|accessdate=2008-07-16]
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1985|7|26
cityofbirth = Toulouse
countryofbirth = France
currentclub = Arsenal
clubnumber = 22

position = Left back
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 2001–2003
2003–
clubs = Cannes
Arsenal
caps(goals) = 015 (0)
106 (0)
nationalyears = 2004–2005
2008
2008–
nationalteam = France U21
France B
France
nationalcaps(goals) = 010 (0)
002 (0)
001 (0)
pcupdate = 14:05, 4 October 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 14:05, 4 October 2008 (UTC)

Gaël Clichy (born July 26 1985 in Toulouse) is a French football player, who currently plays for Arsenal of the Premier League. He is Arsenal's first-choice left back and can also play on the left-hand-side of midfield.

Biography

Signed by Arsène Wenger in the summer of 2003 from AS Cannes for £250,000, Clichy plays the position of left back for Arsenal, although he had to be content with playing understudy to England international Ashley Cole during his first three seasons at the club.

His 12 appearances in the Premiership in Arsenal's victorious 2003–04 season were enough to earn him a winners medal. In doing so, he set the record for youngest winner of a Premiership champions medal. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/05/05/sfnsmi05.xml Clichy excels in Cole role - Football News - Telegraph ] ]

After Ashley Cole suffered a fractured foot in October 2005, it seemed that Clichy would earn some valuable first-team action during Cole's time out; indeed, with rumours linking Cole with a transfer to Spain, it seemed that Clichy could make a strong case for continual first-team action. However Clichy ironically suffered an injury identical to Cole's, leaving Arsenal with a crisis at the left-back position.

Clichy returned to first team action on April 25 2006 in a Champions League semi-final against Villarreal, and came on as a substitute for the injured Mathieu Flamini. Clichy suffered a re-occurrence of his injury and missed the end of the season including the Champions League Final, and would not return to the first team until 14 October 2006.

When Cole left for Chelsea in August 2006, Clichy became the first choice left-back at Arsenal. As Cole's understudy, Clichy made 62 appearances (including 39 in the league) for Arsenal in three seasons. In the season which followed Cole's departure, Clichy made 27 league appearances in a total of 40, and has since become Arsenal's first-choice left back. In the 2007–08 season, Clichy was selected in the PFA Team of the Year as left back. This fine form was rewarded on 20 June 2008, when he signed a new "long-term" contract. He came in second in the Arsenal fans' poll for Player of the Season. He captained Arsenal for the first time against Barnet in Arsenal's first preseason game of 2008–09.

International career

In 2007 he was called up for the French national squad. He was called up again in January 2008, for the French game against Spain, and the 5 February, 2008 B friendly against Congo DR. [fr [http://www.rlfoot.fr/index.php?page=http://www.rlfoot.fr/Selections/07-08_A_joueurs.htm List of the pre-selected players in the French A-squad in the season 2007-2008] .]

Clichy made his senior international debut for France on 10 September 2008 in their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Serbia.

Near death experience

In his early years, after climbing over a metal fence, a ring he was wearing got caught and tore his finger off. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/05/05/sfnsmi05.xml Clichy excels in Cole role - Football News - Telegraph ] ] He had a seven-hour operation to sew it back on, but during the operation, his heart stopped beating due to a problem with his lungs. After 15 seconds it restarted and, thankfully, he recovered. Doctors described it as a "miracle" that Clichy survived. His mother had the resources to help him recover after years of experience in medical school as a nurse.

tyle of play

Clichy is one of the most attacking full backs in the Premier League. As one of the fastest players in the Premiership, he is never hesitant to overlap his left midfielder, usually Tomáš Rosický, and join in with the attack. Clichy contributes to a lot of goals via crosses from advanced positions on the left wing. His dribbling has improved immensely since his arrival at Arsenal and the natural width he provides gives more attacking options to the team. Defensively, Clichy has matured with every match. Although he can be light on the tackle and get caught out of position due to his attacking nature his tackling has vastly improved recently and so has his positioning so he gets caught out of position less.

Career honours

Arsenal
*Winner
**Premier League: 2003–04
**FA Cup: 2004–05

*Runner-up
**Champions League: 2005–06
**Premier League: 2004–05

Personal
*Member of PFA Team of the Year: 2007–08

Arsenal career statistics

:"(correct as of 13 May 2008)"

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=35709 Statistics] at soccerbase.com

Persondata
NAME= Clichy, Gaël
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Clichy, Gaël
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Professional footballer
DATE OF BIRTH= 1985-07-26
PLACE OF BIRTH= Toulouse, France
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=