DANNY GABBIDON FACTFILE

Born: Cwmbran, 1979 (Age 36) 1996-2005 An apprentice at West Brom, Gabbidon made his debut in March 1999 but featured just 27 times for the Baggies and left to join Cardiff for £500,000 a year later. An instant regular, he played over 200 games in five years at Ninian Park, winning promotion from the old Third Division in 2001, from the old Second Division in 2003 and a place in the Championship team of the year in 2004. Gabbidon made his Wales debut in 2002, the first of 49 caps over the next 12 years.

2005-11

Signed by newly-promoted West Ham in 2005, Gabbidon played 32 times as Alan Pardew’s side finished ninth in the Premier League and lost to Liverpool in the 2006 FA Cup final, also winning the club’s player of the year. Though disrupted by injury, he went on to play over 100 times for the Hammers before leaving to join QPR in 2011.

2011-13

After 18 games for the Hoops, Gabbidon fell out of favour with Mark Hughes and subsequently signed for Crystal Palace in September 2012. Injured for much of his first season, Gabbidon recovered to play the full 120 minutes as Palace beat Watford 1-0 in the 2013 Championship play-off final.

2013-15

A regular starter under first Ian Holloway and then Tony Pulis, Gabbidon played 23 times in the Premier League as Palace recovered from a poor start to finish 11th, only to be released at the end of the 2013-14 season. Aged 35, he rejoined Cardiff as player-coach and briefly became interim manager following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Gabbidon retired at the end of last season having scored 13 goals in 412 games.