JOLEON LESCOTT

Everton manager David Moyes took a £5.5 million punt on Championship defender Lescott in August 2006 and it proved to be a gamble worth taking. At Goodison Park, the former Wolves defender established himself as a top-class Premier League performer and broke into the England national team before forcing through a controversial £22 million move to Manchester City in August 2009.

Lescott’s stock rose quickly on Merseyside as he carved out a reputation as a goalscoring left-back or centre-back, netting 14 Premier League goals for Everton in three seasons, including eight in the 2007-08 campaign, proving his worth at both ends of the pitch.

He struggled to carry his form into his first season at Eastlands but he was Roberto Mancini’s first-choice defender in the 2011-12 season as City won the Premier League.

Strengths: A strong and relatively versatile defender, Lescott is a commanding presence at the back and capable of scoring goals.

Weaknesses: He can look nervy and is vulnerable to attackers with a decent turn of pace.

Career high: Joining Manchester City’s mega-bucks revolution, along with star names such as Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor.

Career low: Being booed on his final game for Everton as the Toffees lost 6-1 to Arsenal on the opening day of the 2009-10 season.

Style: Aware, versatile, intelligent.

Quotes: “Last season was frustrating. I worked so hard to get the move and I feel I didn’t repay the club as much as I would have liked. I believe I can repay the club if I am given the opportunities. I didn’t want to come here and win things but not play.” - Joleon Lescott, July 2010

Trivia: Lescott finished the 2007-08 season with eight goals and more impressively as the Premier League’s finest finisher, with a phenomenal goals-to-shots ratio of 42.1%. To put that into perspective, the next best was Yakubu, lagging way behind with 28.3%.