Alex Song

Bastia

Song joined the Bastia youth team in 2003–04 and became a part of the first team the following season with 31 appearances. Bastia were playing in Ligue 1 during the time Song had a stint there. Song was noted for his high versatility While playing for Bastia, he was selected as a part of France under-16 national team. He later chose to represent Cameroon, his country of birth. He played as a centre-back but later made several appearances as a defensive midfielder. He was highly regarded in this position by numerous coaches and supporters of Bastia. During his time at Bastia, he attracted attention from numerous clubs, including Internazionale, Juventus, Manchester United, Lyon and Middlesbrough. Unwilling to sell their prized asset, Bastia agreed to loan him to the Gunners for one season only in 2005. Despite being linked heavily with Lyon, he was sold to Arsenal for a £1 million transfer fee. During his time at Bastia, Song made a total of 32 league appearances.

Arsenal

Song impressed Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger as a trialist during Arsenal's pre-season training camp in Austria, and Arsenal secured his services on loan for the 2005–06 season on 11 August 2005. Arsenal agreed to a £1 million fee in June 2006 and signed him to a four-year contract. Song made his Premier League debut during Arsenal's 2–0 win against Everton on 19 September 2005 as a substitute. He played in several UEFA Champions League matches and made several Premier League starts…

Song was first capped by Cameroon in 2005. He was named in the Cameroon squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. He played for Cameroon in their first group match, a 4–2 defeat against holders Egypt; he replaced Stéphane Mbia at half time, joining his uncle Rigobert on the pitch. For the duration of the tournament he was a revelation in defence for Cameroon, earning a Man of the Match award in Cameroon's semi-final, but then going off injured in the final against Egypt. He was nonetheless named in the Tournament Best XI, alongside compatriot Geremi. Song was called up for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and was the only Cameroonian named in the Team of the Tournament. Song was included in the Cameroon squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He did not appear in his side's opening loss to Japan, but played the full 90 in Cameroon's disappointing 2–1 loss to Denmark. The result ensured that Les Lions Indomptables were the first country eliminated from the World Cup. He was an unused substitute in Cameroon's final group stage match against the Netherlands, a 2–1 loss, but his uncle Rigobert made his final national team appearance in the match. Song participated in his second FIFA World Cup at the 2014 tournament in Brazil. In the team's second group match, Song was sent off for violent conduct after striking Mario Mandžukić as Cameroon were knocked out, losing 4–0 to Croatia. Song later apologized to Mandžukić, and to the people of Cameroon for being sent off. FIFA…

A versatile player, Song is capable of playing as a central midfielder, in a holding role, or even as a centre-back, and is primarily known for his energy, physicality, ball-winning abilities, and ability to cover ground quickly, although he is also comfortable on the ball and a strong passer. In 2012, former Barcelona goalkeeper and sports director Andoni Zubizarreta described Song as "a player who is good in the air, is physically powerful and tactically astute." Despite his defensive playing role, Song has been described by former Cameroon coach Javier Clemente as a "much better player in attack than he is defensively". Indeed, in addition to his defensive and physical qualities, he is also capable of pushing forward, carrying the ball himself, or starting attacking plays with his passing after winning back possession, thus allowing him to transition quickly between the defensive and offensive phases of the game.

Club

International