Ilan - full name Ilan Araujo Dall'Igna - joined West Ham United on a six-month contract following his release by French Ligue 1 club AS Saint-Etienne on 1 February 2010.

The quick, elusive attacker had spent five-and-a-half seasons across the Channel, during which time he developed a reputation for scoring both regularly and spectacularly for both Saint-Etienne and the club that originally brought him to Europe in summer 2004, FC Sochaux-Montbeliard.

Ilan did not have to leave his homeland to receive international recognition, however, making three appearances for Brazil at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup in France.

Substitute appearances against Cameroon - when he lined up against Hammers midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe - and the United States were followed by a full debut in the final group stage fixture against Turkey.

At the time of his international call-up, Ilan was playing for Sporting Paranaense, his third club following spells at Parana and Sao Paulo.

Born in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba, Ilan sees himself as the perfect foil for a larger target man: "I am a striker but I am not a classical No9. I prefer to play off the No9, to play off the main striker. I like to get around the attacking areas of the pitch and to both score and create goals. I see myself as a support striker, playing around him and generally posing a threat to the other team."

While he sees himself as a "support" to the central forward, however, Ilan is not shy of finding the net himself, having scored 28 goals in 60 games during his two seasons at Sochaux.

A move to Saint-Etienne in summer 2006 did not halt his progress, either, as Ilan netted a further 31 goals, forging a potent partnership with France striker Bafetimbi Gomis and playing alongside new West Ham team-mate Herita Ilunga.

While further international recognition has eluded him, Ilan was awarded the French Goal of the Season award for a spectacular overhead kick against Paris Saint-Germain in February 2007.

Having arrived as a second-half substitute, Ilan found the net on his West Ham United debut, scoring in the 2-1 Barclays Premier League defeat at Burnley on Saturday 6 February 2010.