This former France Under-21 skipper was tipped as one of the hottest prospects in French football when Tottenham swooped to sign him for a reported fee of £8 million in 2005 but following a raft of defensive mistakes he failed to make an impression at White Hart Lane and was shipped out to Portsmouth.

It was at Fratton Park, under manager Harry Redknapp, that Kaboul rebuilt his reputation as an attack-minded defender - scoring his first goal for the club against AC Milan in the UEFA Cup and going on to make 50 appearances for Pompey.

Financial troubles at the South Coast club saw Kaboul sold back to Tottenham, where Redknapp was now manager, in January 2010 for around £9.5 million after just 18 months at Portsmouth. He made 10 appearances, often at right-back, to help Spurs finish fourth in the Premier League and book a place in the Champions League.

Strengths: Quick and strong in the tackle he loves to get forward and has an eye for a spectacular goal.

Weaknesses: His eagerness to get forward can mean he is caught out of position and sometimes lacks the concentration required by top defender.

Career high: Winning the 2004-05 Coupe de France with first club Auxerre.

Career low: Signed by Martin Jol, Kaboul failed to impress the new Spurs manager Juande Ramos, who preferred to play midfielder Didier Zokora at centre-back.

Style: He likes to catch the eye by doing something a bit different and this can be exhilarating and exasperating in equal measure.

Quotes: "Kaboul is fantastic. He has come into the team and we've won four on the bounce when he hasn't been in his proper position. He's still raw as a full-back, and some of his positional play is a bit suspect to be honest, but he's shown you can work with a player." Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.

Trivia: Despite representing France at Under-19 level and captaining the Under-21 side Kaboul might yet opt to play for the Moroccan national team.