William Eric Gallas (French pronunciation: ; born 17 August 1977) is a French retired footballer who played as a defender. He played most of his footballing career in France and England before finishing his career in Australia with A-League club Perth Glory. Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006. He then signed for rivals Tottenham Hotspur in 2010.
While his career has been successful, including Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006, Gallas has also had controversy due to on-field behaviour and friction with other personnel. In 2007, he was named Arsenal's captain, but was removed from the role during the 2008–09 season after criticising teammates in a media interview. He left Arsenal at the end of the 2009–10 season, when his contract expired, later signing for rivals Tottenham. He was released at the end of the 2012–13 season when his contract expired. He retired from professional football on 16 October 2014.