A powerful centre-back, Manuel da Costa cemented his place in the West Ham United team during the closing stages of the 2009/10 season and continued to feature regularly in 2010/11.

After making a bright start to his career at AS Nancy and PSV Eindhoven, where he appeared in the UEFA Champions League, Da Costa endured a difficult couple of years in Italian football.

However, after settling into life in English football, the defender has started to show Hammers supporters exactly what he can do over an extended period.

2010/11

Made 15 Barclays Premier League appearances, 13 of them starts...Scored his solitary Barclays Premier League goal of the season in the 3-0 home win over Stoke City on 5 March 2011...Also netted against Stoke City in the 3-1 Carling Cup fourth-round victory over the Potters on 27 October 2010...Made two Carling Cup and one FA Cup appearances, all three of them starts...Totalled 18 appearances in all competitions, 16 of them starts, and two goals...Shown four yellow cards in all competitions...Made a single Barclays Premier Reserve League appearance in a 1-1 home draw with West Bromwich Albion on 2 February 2011.

2009/10

Joined West Ham United on a three-year contract from ACF Fiorentina on 31 August 2009...Made his Barclays Premier Reserve League South debut in 6-0 win over Birmingham City at the Boleyn Ground on 8 September 2009…Made his Premier League debut in 3-1 defeat at Manchester City on 28 September 2009…Scored his first West Ham United goal by scoring the equaliser in 3-3 draw at Hull City on 28 November 2009…Scored in the 2-2 Premier League draw at Everton on 4 April…Started the final seven Premier League matches of the season…Started the League Cup third-round defeat at Bolton Wanderers…Totalled 16 appearances in all competitions, scoring twice…Totalled five Barclays Premier Reserve League South appearances.

International career

Capped 22 times by Portugal at U20, U21 and U23 level...Appeared for Portugal at the 2006 Toulon U20 Tournament in France…Appeared in 2-0 U23 friendly victory over Romania in April 2009.

Before West Ham United

Made ten league appearances for AS Nancy during the 2005/06 season...Scored in the French League Cup semi-final for AS Nancy against Le Mans UC72…Joined PSV Eindhoven on a five-year contract in summer of 2006…Won the Dutch league title with PSV Eindhoven in 2006/07…Totalled 15 Dutch league appearances over 18 months at the Philips Stadion…Made four UEFA Champions League appearances for PSV Eindhoven…Joined ACF Fiorentina in January 2008…Moved to UC Sampdoria on loan in January 2009...Made one UEFA Cup appearance for UC Sampdoria.

Any other business

Born in France to a Portuguese father and a Moroccan mother.