When Emmanuel Eboue left the Emirates and headed to Turkey what seems like a lifetime ago, I was distraught as I thought I would never see him at Ashburton grove again.

Luckily, the Emirates Cup line-up this year has given me the opportunity to see his cheeky grin once again.  Eboue has always been one of my favourite players, not necessarily because of his ability, but for so many other things.

Ups and Downs

One of the darkest moments in Arsenal’s history was when Eboue was booed of the pitch by his own fans as he was subbed off just minutes after being subbed on.

He had a mare, there can be no doubt, but no player should be booed by his own fans.  Ever.

However, this experience proved to be making of Emmanuel as an Arsenal player as it began the start of his rise to iconic status.

All in all Eboue scored 5 goals in 132 appearances for the Gunners.  But he will never be remembered for his performances.

Eboue come dancing

He had moves make no mistake.  His dancing caught the imagination of everyone who saw it and caught on like a fever to other players in the squad.

He was certainly a character and I very much look forward to seeing how he has developed at Galatasaray.

After Arsenal

So far Eboue has made 71 appearances and scored four goals for the Turkish giants and has contributed to two league titles and a domestic cup since joining.

I’m not saying that Eboue is the key man for Galatasaray, but they have never had him and not won the league so…there you go.

As you might be able to tell this article is slightly bias as I’ve always been fond of the Ivorian since I was young.

Say what you like about him ability-wise but I'm sure no one will begrudge him the rapturous standing ovation he is sure to receive in his opening match against Porto.

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