An instinctive left-winger who can be a matchwinner on his day as several teams have found to their cost in recent seasons.

Etherington originally graduated through the junior ranks at Peterborough United, for whom he made his debut at Brentford in May 1997, aged just 15 years and 262 days, before playing another two games during the following season, too.

After establishing himself at London Road during the 1998/99 campaign, Etherington then had a one-week trial at Manchester United, where he earned a glowing tribute from Sir Alex Ferguson following a private friendly match against Boca Juniors.

Upon returning to Peterborough, Etherington signed a five-year contract but his performances still attracted the close attention of Arsenal, Aston Villa and Celtic, before he made a £500,000 move to Tottenham Hotspur in January 2000, alongside Posh team-mate Simon Davies.

Etherington made his Tottenham debut as a substitute at Liverpool in April 2000, before going to Bradford City for a 13-match loan spell in autumn 2001.

Despite still being widely acknowledged as an exciting prospect, Etherington was limited to just 24 starts in 51 league and cup appearances during a two-goal, three-and-a-half-year spell at White Hart Lane.

Following West Ham United's relegation at the end of the 2002/03 campaign, Etherington - valued at £500,000 - arrived at the Boleyn Ground in a cash-plus-player swap for the £4m-rated Fredi Kanoute in August 2003 and he quickly made his debut in the opening day Championship victory at Preston North End.

Certainly, his dashes down the flank made him an instant hit with the home fans and he became one of the most influential players in the side during an electric first season.

A brilliant hat-trick against Wimbledon in March 2004 proved the highlight of a magnificent first term in which he was deservedly crowned Hammer of the Year, before his goal against Ipswich Town in the play-off semi-final helped the club to an unfortunate, unsuccessful Cardiff showdown with Crystal Palace.

But another strong season ensured that he was back at the Millennium Stadium just 12 months later to help West Ham United overcome Preston North End and secure a return to the Premiership.

Back in the top-flight, Etherington made a seamless transition as West Ham United claimed a superb ninth-placed finish and a third consecutive trip to Cardiff, where he played in the classic 2006 FA Cup final against Liverpool.

By his own admission, the England U16, U18 and U20 winger then lost his way during a tense - albeit successful - battle against relegation that also saw the January 2007 arrival of Luis Boa Morte bring added competition for the wide berths.

But going into the 2007/08 season having scored 13 goals in 158 appearances for the Hammers, the refreshed winger looked determined to rediscover the form that made him such a hit when he first arrived at the Boleyn Ground and, indeed, this was underlined in September 2007 by a match-winning double-strike at Reading.