As France rejoiced at the news that Zinedine Zidane was coming out of international retirement in August 2005, one man could have been forgiven for cursing his luck. Vikash Dhorasoo had finally forged a place for himself in the France team and seemed to be an integral part of Les Bleus’ bid to qualify for the World Cup. Replacing France legend Zidane is not an easy task for anyone, but Dhorasoo took to the challenge with some relish in the 2004-05 season.

Playing on the left or in the centre of midfield, the former Lyon star used his vision and quality on the ball to impress Coach Raymond Domenech and was one of the few highlights in a difficult season for Les Bleus.

With Zizou returning, however, Dhorasoo knows that his days in the limelight are numbered.

Born in Harfleur, Dhorasoo, whose parents come from Mauritius, started his career with Le Havre and made his Ligue 1 debut for them in 1993. After making 137 appearances for the Normandy club, he was snapped up by Lyon in 1998. Consistently one of the top midfielders in France, Dhorasoo had to wait until 2001 to pick up his first trophy - a Coupe de la Ligue win with Lyon.

By that time he had already made his breakthrough with France. His first appearance came as a late substitute in the goalless draw with Ukraine in March 1999, then he played the 90 minutes of a 1-0 win over Andorra three months later. Little did he know then, it would be five years before he donned the blue shirt for a third time.

He spent one season at Bordeaux in 2001-02 and won a second Coupe de la Ligue, before returning to Lyon and picking up championship winner’s medals in 2003 and 2004. Surprisingly Dhorasoo was allowed to leave Lyon on a free transfer in 2004, as the Coach Paul Le Guen made room for young midfielders like Michael Essien and Mahamadou Diarra. He was not short of suitors, and opted for a dream move to AC Milan.

Dhorasoo found competition for places extremely tough at the San Siro, but impressed the Coach Carlo Ancelotti with his positive attitude. Then 31, he played 12 matches in Serie A and was offered a new deal in the summer of 2005. However, with the World Cup just 12 months away, he preferred to return to France, signing a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain for £2m.