Benoit Assou-Ekotto

Super-consistent left-back is now regarded as one of the best in his position in the Premier League - that's certainly the opinion of his manager.

Forming a fantastic partnership with Gareth Bale down that left flank, Benoit played in 45 of our 53 matches last term.

Indeed, he started 45 of our first 48 games before a late hamstring injury ruled him out for the last three weeks of the season and he was our only player to start all 12 matcheds in the Champions League.

The Cameroon international left back signed from French club RC Lens in the summer of 2006.

After an injury-hit start to his White Hart Lane career, Benoit's game has progressed unmeasurably since the arrival of Harry Redknapp as manager.

His performances led to him being offered a new contract at the start of the 2009-10 season, seeing him at White Hart Lane until 2013.

He celebrated with his first goal in a Spurs shirt and one to remember - the opening goal of the 2009-10 season, an absolute cracker into the top corner as we toppled Liverpool at the Lane.

That laid down a marker for the season for Benoit, who made 34 appearances in all competitions including 29 starts in the league before joining the Cameroon squad in the World Cup.

Benoit made a promising start to his Spurs career with 24 appearances before suffering a knee injury in February 2007 that ultimately ruled him out for the rest of that season.

Benoit returned to action in September 2007 but, after two appearances, the same knee problem resurfaced and ended his campaign early - as well as threatening to end his career altogether.

However, after a summer of rehabilitation, pre-season saw him return to the first team fold in preparation for the 2008-09 season.

Over the course of the campaign, he made 36 appearances in all competitions and earned rave reviews from the manager and fans alike, who voted him the Club's Most Improved Player of the season.

The following season could not have begun any better for Benoit!

Not only did the tough full-back put pen to paper on his new deal, he also scored our first goal of the 2009-10 campaign - an absolute scorcher in our opening day victory over Liverpool. What a way to score your first ever career goal!

In February 2009, Benoit earned his first international honours for Cameroon, the country over his father's birth. 

By November of the same year, he had become a key member of the Indomitable Lions side that earned qualification for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.

However, that hip injury suffered at the end of 2009 meant Benoit missed out on the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola

Born in Arras, France, Benoit played 73 games in total for first club Lens before making the move to N17 as one of the continent's most highly-rated young full-backs.