Frank LEBOEUF

Signed from Strasbourg for £2.5 million in the summer of 1996, French international Frank Leboeuf was an instant hit with the Chelsea supporters when the new season began. Taking over the role of sweeper which had been performed to moderate success in recent seasons by Glenn Hoddle and Ruud Gullit, Leboeuf's early performances showed that he was a genuine master of the art. A superb reader of the game, he was able to instantly turn defence into attack when he stepped out with the ball at his feet. He also possessed wonderful passing ability and would regularly spray 80-yard passes to the feet of his front men.

A bruising early season clash with Wimbledon exposed a weakness in the air which Frank worked hard to rectify and when manager Gullit reverted to a 4-4-2 formation later in the season, Leboeuf impressed as a conventional centre-half, his elegant style complementing the rugged tackling of his regular partner Steve Clarke. Calm and unflappable, he also took on the role of penalty taker and showed his coolness under pressure when he slotted home the winner against Leicester City in the 117th minute of an FA Cup tie which appeared to be heading for a penalty shoot-out. Drawn to face Wimbledon in the semi-final, Leboeuf played as one of three centre-halves and comfortably repelled the aerial bombardment this time, demonstrating in the process that he had swiftly come to terms with the physical nature of British football.

Chelsea progressed and at the end of his first season he picked up an FA Cup winners medal. Continuing in the role of centre-half, Frank teamed up with Michael Duberry to great effect in his second season. He continued his assault on Leicester by scoring another late winner against them, this time a magnificent 30-yard shot into the top corner, and scored six goals in total as he added the Worthington and European Cup Winners Cups to his tally of honours. That summer he played alongside Marcel Desailly in France's World Cup final victory over Brazil. (Kelvin Barker).

After winning the World Cup, Frank became something of a marked man with opposing fans, players and, occasionally, managers as a result of a light-hearted appearance on a TV quiz show. Facing regular abuse, he became increasingly exasperated and flashes of temper and petulance began to infiltrate his game. He was sent-off at Leeds, and during an FA Cup clash at Oxford he almost came to blows with rival manager Malcolm Shotton. Fortunately he regained his composure just in time to salvage a draw with a nerveless last minute penalty.

Now partnering Desailly at club level too, Leboeuf was a major cog in the Chelsea defence that conceded just 30 goals in the Premiership in 1998/99 as The Blues finished third. Frank played a leading role in Chelsea's run to the Champions League quarter-finals in 1999/2000 but the club's league form was patchy and two sending-offs in quick succession, including another against Leeds, led to a lengthy suspension. He nevertheless showed his mettle when Chelsea travelled to Elland Road for the reverse fixture the following April, turning in a man of the match performance in the face of heavy intimidation. Chelsea's season ended with an FA Cup final victory over Aston Villa, Leboeuf clearing a Benito Carbone shot off the line within minutes of The Blues taking the lead.

The following season proved to be his last in South West London. Dropped for the opening game after publicly criticising manager Gianluca Vialli, the supporters began to turn on him when the popular Italian was sacked just three weeks later. New manager Claudio Ranieri took over with instructions to bring down the average age of the squad, and the emergence of 20 year-old John Terry led to Frank being relegated to the substitute's bench for much of the campaign. At the end of the 2000/01 season, Leboeuf brought the curtain down on an illustrious spell at Stamford Bridge when he joined Marseille for £1.2 million. (Kelvin Barker)

After retiring from football he began a career as an actor.

Senior career.

1988–1991    Laval    69    (11)
1991–1996    Strasbourg    189    (48)
1996–2001    Chelsea    206    (24)
2001–2003    Marseille    51    (5)
2003–2004    Al-Sadd    17    (6)
2004–2005    Al Wakrah    10    (2)

Total        480    (89)