William Gallas

By Craig · Published 27 October 2026

William Gallas is a French centre back who played for Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham, the first player to appear for all three. He captained Arsenal for 15 months, and is remembered for sitting down on the pitch at St Andrew's in February 2008.

Clubs

Caen (1995 to 1997), Marseille (1997 to 2001), Chelsea (2001 to 2006), Arsenal (2006 to 2010), Tottenham Hotspur (2010 to 2013), Perth Glory (2013 to 2014)

Premier League

321 appearances, 25 goals, 122 clean sheets

Honours

Premier League 2005 and 2006, League Cup 2005, Community Shield 2005, PFA Team of the Year 2003 and 2006

International

France, 84 caps, 5 goals; World Cup runner-up 2006

Fantasy price

£6.5m in 2005/06

Who did he play for?

He started at Caen and Marseille and was the French league's young player of the year in 1999. Chelsea paid £6.2 million for him in May 2001.

He played 159 league games for Chelsea, mostly at centre back and sometimes at full back, and won the title in 2005 and 2006 and the League Cup in 2005. He opened the scoring in the 3-0 win over Manchester United on 29 April 2006 that clinched the second title.

On 1 September 2006 he went to Arsenal in the deal that took Ashley Cole to Chelsea, with £5 million going to Arsenal. Chelsea put out a statement saying he had refused to play against Manchester City and threatened to score an own goal or get himself sent off. He denied it.

Arsène Wenger gave him Dennis Bergkamp's number 10 and, in August 2007, the captaincy. He lost it in November 2008 after giving an interview in which he said the team wasn't brave enough, and Cesc Fàbregas took over. He played 101 league games for Arsenal and scored 12.

Tottenham signed him on a free in August 2010. He captained them in a 3-2 win at the Emirates that November, played 61 league games in three seasons, and finished with a season at Perth Glory. He retired in October 2014.

For France he won 84 caps, played in the 2006 World Cup final, and scored the equaliser against Ireland in November 2009 that followed Thierry Henry's handball.

The moment: Birmingham, 23 February 2008

St Andrew's, Saturday 23 February 2008. Arsenal were five points clear at the top. Three minutes in, Martin Taylor's tackle broke Eduardo's leg, and Taylor was sent off.

James McFadden put Birmingham ahead from a free kick on 28 minutes. Theo Walcott scored twice early in the second half. In the fourth minute of stoppage time Gaël Clichy fouled Stuart Parnaby in the box and McFadden scored the penalty. Birmingham 2-2 Arsenal.

Gallas, the captain, had kicked an advertising board and stood in the Birmingham half during the penalty. At the final whistle he sat down on the pitch, waved away his teammates, and stayed there for about two minutes until Wenger walked over and got him up.

Manchester United won 5-1 the same afternoon. Arsenal won one of their next seven league games and finished third, four points behind United.

Why the streets won't forget

He wore 13 at Chelsea, the postcode of his old district in Marseille.

In November 2007 against Manchester United he put through his own net and then scored a stoppage-time equaliser.

Asked about Birmingham in 2016, he said he had perhaps been stupid, but he had been passionate.

Since 2021 he has coached young defenders at Zalaegerszeg in Hungary.

Which seasons can you draft him in?

Twelve.

In 2005/06 he is £6.5m, one of the three most expensive defenders in the game, with five goals at six points each behind a defence that conceded 22.

Want him in your retro fantasy football team for 2005/06? He'll cost you £6.5m.