PLAYER PROFILE

Michael Ball

Position: Defence

Height: 5'10

Weight: 11st 2lbs

Date of Birth: 1979-10-02 Liverpool, England

Michael Ball

Having made his Everton debut as a substitute towards the end of the 1996/97 season against Tottenham while the club was struggling to avoid relegation, Michael Ball went on to play in the Merseyside derby and make two Premiership starting appearances before the season was out.

Possessing a huge long-throw and with the versatility of being able to play at left-back or in central defence, Ball was given a five-year contract during his first year as a YTS trainee and has gone on to prove himself an outstanding talent. Sharp tackling, quick, good in the air and possessing excellent composure, the childhood Evertonian shocked Everton fans by demanding a contract deal that was out of the club's reach.

In the summer of 2001, when Everton was rocked by the departure of Francis Jeffers to Arsenal, manager Walter Smith decided to prevent another protracted and harmful transfer saga and sold the player to his former club Glasgow Rangers for �6.5million.

His first season at Ibrox was dogged by injury and there were fears for his future after Ball suffered with some serious cartilage problems. He recovered in time for the 2003/04 season and challenged Italian defender Paolo Vanoli for a regular spot in the team.

His appearances in the 2004/05 campaign, however, were sporadic and it was only when Vanoli left in January that Ball managed to get some consistant first-team football. He played 17 games in all but left the club in August 2005 to join PSV Eindhoven.

However, he struggled to get any regular football in Holland and his career seemed to be in terminal decline until he finally managed to escape PSV and joined Manchester City for an undisclosed fee in January 2007 after impressing in a trial.

His first half-season at Eastlands was largely successful, but there was a moment of controversey when he stamped on Cristiano Ronaldo during a Manchester derby defeat in May.

His reliable form continued in 2007/08 as he put in another string of fine displays.