MAROUANE CHAMAKH
Born: 10 January 1984, Tonneins, France
Former clubs: Bordeaux, Arsenal
Morocco striker Marouane Chamakh joined West Ham United on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season on 4 January 2012.
The experienced frontman made his name during an eight-year stint at French club Bordeaux, with whom he lifted three domestic trophies, including a league and cup double in 2009.
Vaunted for his aerial prowess, he made the switch to Arsenal in summer 2010, signing on a free transfer, having seen out his contract at Bordeaux.
Following a somewhat turbulent two-and-half years at the Emirates Stadium, Chamakh arrived at the Boleyn Ground bidding to prove his Barclays Premier League pedigree.
2012/13
Marouane Chamakh made his West Ham United debut as a second-half substitute in a 3-0 defeat at Sunderland on 12 January. He fared rather better in his full debut, playing just over an hour in a 1-1 home draw with Queens Park Rangers.
International career
Chamakh has long been a pivotal figure for Morocco, despite having turned out for France U19s in 2003. That same year he was called up to Morocco's senior squad, making his full international debut against Sierra Leone on 10 September 2003. In 2004, he and Morocco reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, eventually losing out to Tunisia. To date, he has made 63 international appearances, scoring 17 goals, but was overlooked for the 2013 Cup of Nations in South Africa.
Before West Ham United
Chamakh started his career as a schoolboy with local clubs Nérac and Marmandais before joining Bordeaux at 16 in 2000. A four-year stay with the Les Girondins saw him lift the French League Cup in 2007, before firing the club to a famous league and cup double in 2009. In all, he totalled 76 goals in 301 appearances for the club, including 16 in 38 European outings.
That proved enough to tempt Arsene Wenger to come calling and he duly joined Arsenal in summer 2010. Chamakh scored six times in his first 12 appearances for the club, before going on to double that tally by the season's end.
A shortage of first-team opportunities prompted the Moroccan to move to the Boleyn Ground on a loan deal until the end of the 2012/13 campaign, having totalled 40 appearances, including 19 starts, in his two-and-a-half year stint in north London.