Position: Defender/Midfielder
Born: 26.09.81
Club: St Etienne

Alaedinne Yahia is a very physical defender who is strong in the air and versatile enough to play in midfield.

He made something of a surprise £350,000 move to Southampton from Guingamp in August 2004, but-first team opportunities for young players were at a premium as the Saints battled unsuccessfully against relegation.

Yahia was sold the following summer as the squad was decimated following the drop, and he returned to the country of his birth with St Etienne.

His breakthrough for the Tunisia team came when he was picked for the 2004 Olympics in Athens and although his country went out at the earliest stage, Yahia aquitted himself well and has been in and around the team ever since.

There was some confusion over his African Nations Cup 2006 call-up, which only came after a late injury to Karim Saidi, and when St Etienne refused to release him having not been given the minimum notice he missed out.