Johan Djourou

Johan Danon Djourou-Gbadjere more commonly known as Johan Djourou, is a Swiss international footballer who is currently on loan at German Bundesliga side Hannover 96 from English Premier League club Arsenal. He enrolled at the Payerne Training Center when he was 13 and then in 2002 joined local second division side Étoile Carouge as a midfielder at 15. A few months later he signed scholarship forms for the Arsenal Academy. He joined Arsenal in 2003 and was member of the Swiss under-19 squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2004 European Championships. Djourou made his first senior start for Arsenal in a 3–1 victory against Everton in the League Cup, having made his first appearance after 89 minutes of the corresponding match in the previous round against Manchester City on 27 October 2004. He played in Arsenal\'s 2007 pre-season Emirates Cup win, against both Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain. On 10 August 2007 he signed for Birmingham City on loan for a five-month period. In September 2008, Djourou signed a new long-term contract. In February 2012, Djourou signed a three-year contract extension until summer 2015 with Arsenal. During the 2011–12 season, he started 19 times for Arsenal and made 8 substitute appearances. On 3 January 2013 Djourou confirmed that he is set to move to Bundesliga side Hannover on a six month loan deal until the end of the season. He made his senior Switzerland international debut against Scotland on 1 March 2006. Djourou was called up to the Switzerland 2006 FIFA World Cup squad, despite not playing in the qualifiers.