Patrick Vieira - midfield colossus (Allsport).

Position: Midfield
Born: 23.06.76
Club: Arsenal

A wonderfully talented and powerful midfielder, Vieira is one of the most hardworking, battling players in world football.

Sometimes let down by a dodgy temperament, he will provide the steel in the French midfield to go with the silky skills of Zinedine Zidane - provided he stays on the pitch.

He began his career with Cannes before moving to Italy, joining Serie A giants AC Milan.

However, frustrated at the lack of first-team opportunities, Vieira agreed to join Arsenal in 1996 for a fee of £3million, and though relatively unheard of, he quickly became an integral part of the Gunners midfield.

Vieira's driving style has won many admirers and he has been compared favourably to another great midfield dynamo, Roy Keane.

Indeed Vieira has enjoyed many well documented battles with the Manchester United star, revealing a notable flaw in the young man's make-up - a seriously short fuse.

Most notoriously, he served a lengthy ban for spitting at opponent Neil Ruddock on his way off the pitch after being dismissed.

But when he keeps his emotions in check there is no finer sight than the Frenchman terrorising opposition midfielders with his barnstorming play.

On target in the friendly against Romania in February, which France won 2-1.

Continuously linked with a move back to the continent, World Cup 2002 will provide any potential suitors with even more evidence as to why they would want to sign the Senegal-born star.