Samir Nasri Biography

Name :
Samir Nasri

Born :
June 26, 1987

Birth place :
Marseille, France

Height :
5' 10'' (1.78m)

Weight :
75 kg

Position :
Midfielder

Squad Number :
8

Previous Club(s) :
Marseille

Joined Arsenal :
July 11, 2008

2008/09
Samir had an impressive first season in English football after joining from home-town club Marseille.

He made his intentions clear shortly after completing his move. “I will give my best for Arsenal and its fans and I am honoured to be part of such a great football club," said the Frenchman.

Samir took no time at all in endearing himself to the Arsenal faithful when he scored just 225 seconds into his debut against West Brom on August 16.

He then went on to score both goals in a 2-1 home defeat of rivals Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on November 8, really making his mark on the Premier League.

Overall in his first season as a Gunner, the Frenchman scored seven goals and claimed five assists in 41 starts for Arsenal.

2009/10
Did you see a better strike in 2009/10 than Samir Nasri's effort against Porto? No, me neither.

The French midfielder had the Goal of the Season prize sewn up as soon as his shot smashed in off the post at Emirates Stadium in March. The finish was smart, but the weaving run past four defenders that preceded it was sublime.

That moment provided the high watermark of Samir's year after he spent much of the campaign playing catch-up. It's easy to forget that his season didn't seriously start until November after an innocuous challenge from Abou Diaby left him with a broken leg on the opening day of the training camp in July.

It was an ominous portent of what was to come on the injury front and it denied Samir a proper pre-season. As any player knows, that's a serious handicap when you're challenging for trophies on four fronts.

By the New Year Samir was edging back to his best and he deputised well for Cesc Fabregas when the captain was struggling with a hamstring problem and then a cracked fibula. A typical flourish at Birmingham almost secured three vital points and he ended the season with a respectable five goals from 29 starts.

Samir's summer started on a low note when he was omitted from the France World Cup squad. But in hindsight, he may be happy not to be associated with Les Bleus' implosion.