Position: Goalkeeper
Born: 28.06.71
Club: Marseille

An unconventional keeper who was a key member of France's World Cup and European Championship-winning sides, Fabien Barthez is looking to get his career back on track after a turbulent - even by his standards - couple of years.

Before accepting the challenge of succeeding the irreplaceable Peter Schmeichel at Manchester United, Barthez played for Toulouse, Marseille and Monaco and won the European Cup with OM back in 1993.

Never far from controversy, the shaven-headed keeper was suspended from football for four months in 1996 for smoking cannabis but completed his transition from villain to hero by starring on the way to glory in France 98.

He joined United for £7.8million in May 2000, a British record for a goalkeeper, and won two Premiership titles at Old Trafford before being unceremoniously dumped in favour of Tim Howard in August 2002.

With his Old Trafford career effectively over, Barthez returned to Marseille on loan and quickly became a first choice during an exciting UEFA Cup run, securing a permanent move to his old club when he became a free agent in the summer of 2004.

Yet he was cast back into the wilderness last year when he was banned for six months for spitting at a referee during a friendly between OM and Wydad Casablanca.

That enabled Gregory Coupet to snatch the No 1 shirt and leaves Raymond Domenech with a tough decision to make going into this summer's tournament in Germany.