HE IS our Flava of the Week, but he certainly wasn't as far as Arsene Wenger is concerned.

William Gallas made the headlines for all the wrong reasons last week after the French defender blew the lid on the disharmony in the Arsenal dressing room.

That earned the ire of Wenger, who stripped him of the captain's armband and dropped him for the match against Manchester City last Saturday.

Without Gallas, the Gunners lost 3-0 to Man City but Wenger had no regrets reading the riot act to the errant defender.

The last thing he wanted was for his skipper to wash the club's dirty linen in public.

Gallas may be one of the best defenders in the business but unless he learns to keep his mouth shut, his football career could be over before he knows it.

Wenger has since appointed Cesc Fabregas as the new captain.

Gallas was recalled to the starting line-up in the 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League in midweek but his future at Arsenal remains in doubt.

HIS BACKGROUND

THE eldest of three children, Gallas was born on 17 Aug 1977 and grew up in a Paris suburb, Villeneuve-la-Garenne.

From young, he aspired to become a professional footballer but suffered a setback when his maths teacher told him: 'Footballer? That's not a job!' Proving her wrong, Gallas was talent-scouted to join one of France's elite football academies, INF Clairefontaine, before kick-starting his professional career at Caen in 1995.

HIS STRENGTHS

GALLAS may not be physically imposing as a central defender, but he compensates with his pace, power and tackling ability.

He has a knack for scoring vital goals, which makes him a valuable asset to any team.

HIS TRIUMPHS

DURING his five-year stint at Chelsea, Gallas won the Premiership title twice and the League Cup in 2005.

Shortly after joining Arsenal in 2006, he was handed the captain's armband following the departure of Thierry Henry.

Gallas is also a regular in the France national team. He was part of the World Cup team in the 2006 Finals and also went to the Finals of the European Championships 2004 with the Les Bleus.

HIS STRUGGLES

GALLAS' outspoken nature has always landed him into trouble.

He left Chelsea after voicing his discontent at being played out of position in the right-back's role when his preferred position is in the heart of the defence.

Last season, he famously threw a tantrum and sat down crying on the pitch after Arsenal conceded a last-minute penalty to draw 2-2 with Birmingham.

His latest public outburst was the last straw for Arsene Wenger as he stripped his fellow Frenchman of the Arsenal captaincy.