• Lorik Cana played in France, England, Italy and Turkey

• He captained Marseille in Ligue 1 and Sunderland in EPL

• The midfielder was capped 93 times for Albania

Jayanta Oinam

Lorik Cana is a legend in Albania. Born in Pristina, the capital city of Kosovo, during the SFR Yugoslavia days, the defensive midfielder is the most capped Albanian footballer. Also, eligible to represent Switzerland and France, the 39-year-old retired from playing after the Euro 2016, Albania's only major international tournament. The former Albania captain and his family fled war-torn Kosovo in 1992. Cana started his career with Dardania Lausanne, the local club coached by his father Agim after the family settled in Switzerland. A gifted midfielder, he was once a target of both Real Madrid and Arsenal. But the Albanian found his base in France, turning up first for Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille at the prime of his career, then Nantes. In between, Lorik Cana also had stints in England, with Sunderland; Turkiye, with Galatasaray; Italy, with Lazio.

At Marseille, having established himself as the leader of the team, ahead of the likes of Franck Ribery, Djibril Cisse, Samir Nasri, and others in the pecking order, he became a club legend. He played more than 100 times for The Olympians including two Coupe de France finals and many Champions League and Europa League matches. Lorik Cana failed to win a trophy during his four-year stay there, but the Albanian scored one of his most memorable goals against his former club, PSG, in a 2005 'Le Classique' – a 78th-minute header in front of a packed Stade Velodrome crowd. The match has since gained notoriety thanks to the reported sighting of Clara Morgan near the PSG locker room, a claim denied by the Marseille-born former adult model. After spending close to a decade in France, and playing more than 200 games, Cana crossed the Channel in 2009 to join Sunderland. At the Stadium of Light, he became an instant hit with his no-nonsense approach, earning the affection of Black Cats fans. And he soon became club captain with blessings from Steve Bruce. But a nagging injury meant that the Albanian could play only a limited number of games, and by 2010, he was already in Turkiye.

"Lorik's style of play and attitude made him a natural choice as captain last season but when he came back for pre-season training it was apparent that he had a desire to return to Europe," Bruce revealed as Cana quit Sunderland days before the start of the 2010-11 season. "Turkey is nearer to Albania, where his family and roots are, and it is much easier for him to see them on a more regular basis – I think this was a major factor for him." Lorik Cana failed to make a mark with Galatasaray. After one year in Istanbul, he moved to Italy to join Lazio. There, he won his second major trophy – Coppa Italia, in 2013 – after Coupe de France in 2004 with PSG. In 2015, he returned to France, this time to play for Nantes. In a playing career that lasted more than 15 years, Cana produced many rip-roaring performances for his teams – winning accolades for giving his all. With a nickname as fearsome as ‘le destructeur,’ fans of rival teams would take his name with apprehension, often labelling him a dirty player. Cana, after all, was a tough player known for his whole-hearted approach to the game – one unmissable attribute which made managers name him captain.

"I always try to be fair when I play. To be strong, of course, but to be fair. Only once in my life have I had a red card for any other reason than a tackle or strong play. I always try to be fair and play the ball." he said in 2009 on the eve of Sunderland's Premier League home clash against Everton. Leading from the front, Cana produced another memorable performance in the midfield as Sunderland, without injured Lee Cattermole, played out a 1-1 draw. Darren Bent opened the scoring in the 17th minute for the hosts before Marouane Fellaini's equaliser late in the match, five minutes from the final whistle. "Sometimes you are late or you use too much power, but that’s just football. But most importantly people can see that I am not a bad guy or someone that would try to injure an opponent," Cana added while talking about his send-off following two bookable offences – first against Gabriel Agbonlahor, then for another lunge on James Milner. "Of course, the red card against Aston Villa was not good for me or the team but it is part of football. I have never been booked for other reasons rather than having a strong game."

Lorik Cana made his international debut at 19, against his adopted country Switzerland, in a Euro 2004 qualifying match in June 2013. Two years later, he scored his only international goal in a friendly against Azerbaijan. Now already the captain of the national team under Italian Gianni De Biasi, Cana played a pivotal role in Albania's qualification for the 2016 European Championship – their first-ever major tournament. With 93 international appearances, he is the most-capped Albanian footballer – a feat almost inconceivable considering the fact that he was forced to leave Kosovo at an early age due to war. "We have produced many great people but no one knows them because they are Albanian. One of the most famous people in the world, Mother Theresa was an Albanian, so it’s something important for us. I never met her though," Cana once said while reliving his early years as a refugee. "My father took us out of Kosovo to Switzerland when the war was starting. It was almost as if it was not true to leave. The worst thing was that, for eight years there was no possibility to go back. We were refugees. When you are political refugees you cannot move. You cannot leave Switzerland or the country where you are." Cana retired as a true icon of the game. He was named Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo in 2015. By the way, "Lorik Cana should be an icon," is the title of a petition filed by a fan. The petitioner, bemoaning Cana's absence in the 'FIFA 23' – the 30th and final installment in the FIFA series – said that many Albanian and Kosovan players of the game "would very much love this as a choice".