Emmanuel became the third striker to sign for the Blues in the summer of 2009, joining from Arsenal in the wake of other new arrivals Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz.

After being spotted in youth teams in his home land, the Togo international began his professional career in France at Metz in 1999 and from moved to Monaco from where he was signed by the Gunners.

Once there he made 104 first team league appearances and scored 46 goals. His record in cups for Arsenal was equally impressive as he found the net on 16 occasions in 38 starts.

He was named African Player of the Year in 2008 and has been Togo’s player of the year for the past four seasons. In 2007-08 he won the goal of the year top prize and was voted into the Premier League’s all-star eleven.

The 6ft 3in striker’s most productive season in the top flight came in that 2007-08 campaign when he notched 24 goals in 36 starts.

In January 2010, Emmanuel was on the Togo team coach which was ambushed in a machine-gun attack at the African Nations Cup in Angola, when three people died. He was given compassionate leave, returning to the Club at the end of the month, after which he immediately returned to the team. He scored in his first start after returning, dedicating the goal against Portsmouth to the friends he had lost just a few weeks earlier.

"Manu" finished the season with 14 Premier League goals, second-highest scorer behind Carlos Tevez.