Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. William Éric Gallas (born 17 August 1977 in Asnières-sur-Seine) is a French footballer who plays for English Premier League club Arsenal and the French national team. Regarded as a highly capable player, he primarily plays as a centre-back. Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006. While his career has been marked by both individual and team successes - including Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006 - he has also encountered controversy as a consequence of his on-field behaviour and friction with other personnel. In 2007, he was named Arsenal''s captain, but was removed from the role during the 2008-09 season after criticising team-mates in a media interview. Gallas is also the cousin of Mathieu Bastareaud, a french rugby union centre playing for Stade Francais and capped as a player in the French national rugby union team.