PLAYER PROFILE

Claude Makelele

Position: Midfield

Height: 5'9

Weight: 11st 0lbs

Date of Birth: 1973-02-18 Kinsasha, DR Congo

Claude Makelele

Claude Makelele was the final big-money signing of Chelsea's unprecedented spending spree in the summer of 2003. The French midfielder joined from Real Madrid for a reported fee of around £16m on the transfer deadline day.

He was born in 1973 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (or Zaire as it was known then), and moved to his adopted home of France when he was four years old.

He started his football career in 1991 when he signed for Brest, but made his first real impact with Nantes when they won the French title in 1995 and reached the Champions League semi-finals the following year.

After that season, he moved to Marseille, where he stayed for two years before leaving France for a move to Spain, initially with Celta Vigo, then Real Madrid, who he joined in 2000.

His three years at the Bernabeu made him one of the most respected midfielders in the world, as he helped them to two championships and a Champions League trophy.

In a star-studded attacking team, he was the one who held them together, and was always sorely missed when absent through injury or suspension.

However, that did not translate into his wages, which were well below the bigger names in the squad, even though he was a regular in the team. He grew angry at this situation and went on strike before the start of the 2003/04 season, refusing to train.

When Chelsea came in with an offer, his departure from Madrid looked certain as they had made no indication that they would raise his pay. Despite a couple of set-backs, the move went through.

While he featured in the majority of games during the 2003/04 season, it was reported that Makelele never hit top form because of the language barrier.

He continued to represent France and enjoyed a good Euro 2004 tournament, playing in two of the group games and the quarter-final defeat to eventual champions Greece.

The 2004/05 season proved kinder for Makelele, however, as he firmly established himself in the Chelsea set-up.

Despite a brief mid-season dip in form, he was Mourinho's most favoured partner for Frank Lampard in the centre of the field. By the end of the season he was back to his best, scoring his sole goal of the campaign in the 1-0 victory against Charlton which saw his side lift the Barclays Premiership trophy.

In September 2004, he retired from international football, calling to an end a career which had seen him win 33 caps. However, this did not last too long, as he was back in action when his country needed him after a disappointing start to their World Cup qualifying campaign, and he went all the way to the World Cup 2006 final with them.

Meanwhile, he continued to be an essential part of Chelsea's midfield machine in 2005/06, helping them to another league title and providing his own trademark protection for the back four and allowing Frank Lampard and Michael Essien to roam forward.

The signing of Michael Ballack in the summer of 2006 looked like being bad news for Makelele's firts team chances. However, with the German never hitting form and injuries plaguing the Blues defence, Makelele found himself utilised in various positions throughout the team and proved himself a vital, diverse and reliable part of the Chelsea squad.