Former Hammer Julien Faubert, who now plays for Bordeaux has used a legal loophole to make his Martinique debut despite having previously represented France.
Faubert will now feature in football’s history books and the odd pub quiz. This is because he has joined the select group of players to have turned out for two or more international teams.
Faubert, born in Le Havre but of Martinican descent, scored on second international debut, scoring the equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Curaçao. He enjoyed a similar debut on his one and only France cap (against Bosnia in August 2006), marking the occasion by scoring the winner.
The Martinican Football Association is not a FIFA member thus allowing him to play for a second national team.
Faubert was signed by West Ham for £6.1 million on a five-year contract in 2007. He suffered a ruptured achilles tendon during a pre-season friendly against Czech Republic side Sigma Olomouc, which was expected to take six months to heal.
In 2009 he entered the West Ham hall of fame when he went on loan to Real Madrid for £1.5m loan fee. TV cameras caught him napping on the subs bench and he returned in at the end of the loan period after making 2 sub appearances in a white shirt. He was released in May 2012 at the end of his contract. He made 100 appearances scoring two goals.