Habib Beye was treading water playing for the PSG reserves in the French Fifth Division when Strasbourg Coach Claude Le Roy bought out his contract and took him to Alsace in 1998. The athletic defender soon became a popular figure with the Stade de la Meinau supporters, as his all-action displays at right-back provided the team defensive solidity as well as an attacking outlet.

Beye’s five years at Strasbourg were anything but boring. He broke into the first team right away, but was part of the side that suffered relegation to Ligue 2 in 2001. The blow was softened by an amazing penalty shoot-out victory over Amiens in the Final of the Coupe de France. Beye, having picked his first winners’ medal, stayed loyal to the club and helped them bounce straight back up the top flight.

In 2002-03 he impressed sufficiently to seal a £1.2m move to Marseille, who seemed to be building an exciting team under Coach Alain Perrin. However, a disastrous Champions’ League run led to Perrin’s dismissal and raised question marks over several of his acquisitions.

Beye kept his head down and worked hard with new boss José Anigo, who showed more faith in the defender by employing him as part of a three-man central defence. Beye, Abdoulaye Meite and Brahim Hemdani formed an unlikely, but effective defensive partnership and helped Marseille get past Liverpool, Inter and Newcastle to reach the UEFA Cup Final. In 2004/05 Beye had a new Coach to impress, but Philippe Troussier has not hesitated in making him his regular right-back.

Born in Suresnes, a suburb of Paris, Beye is also an international. He does not play for Les Bleus, however, having chosen to represent Senegal, the country of his parents. He made three appearances during the African nations’s run to the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup.