William Gallas

Lore & Background

Gallas began his playing career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006. He then signed for rivals Tottenham Hotspur in 2010. He retired from professional football on 16 October 2014.

Gallas was born on 17 August 1977 in Asnières-sur-Seine, a commune in the Hauts-de-Seine department which lies in the northwestern suburbs of Paris. He is the cousin of the deceased former footballer Ludovic Quistin and of Mathieu Bastareaud, a French rugby union centre playing for Lyon. A graduate of the French football academy at 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 win over then European champions Manchester United at the Stade Vélodrome in October 1999.

Reader's Guide

Gallas played as a defender. He wore the number 13 shirt at Chelsea because it was his postcode back where he lived in Marseille. At Arsenal, he took the number 10 shirt vacated by the recently retired Dennis Bergkamp. He was confirmed as Arsenal captain on 9 August 2007, with Kolo Touré serving as vice-captain. He was succeeded as captain by Cesc Fàbregas on 24 November 2008.

Did You Know?

• He was part of the Chelsea squad that won back-to-back Premier League titles and a League Cup under José Mourinho.
• Gallas was forced to play left-back at Chelsea due to a serious injury to Wayne Bridge in 2004–05.
• He scored an own goal against Manchester United in November 2007 but equalized in injury time for a 2–2 draw.