Christopher Samba: Potentially the Premiership's best?

Blackburn fans will be delighted with the news that Christopher Samba has signed a new 5 year deal to stay at Ewood Park. The gigantic Congolese centre-back has given a series of consistently outstanding performances following his introduction to the Premiership, and is now a vital part of Mark Hughes' defensive unit.

Although born in France, Samba chose to represent his ancestral home of the Republic of Congo. He made his entry into professional football at Sedan, a club that boasts a good recent history of talented Africans, such as Henri Camara, Modeste M'Bami and Salif Diao. His promise was recognised by German giants Hertha Berlin, and he moved there as a 20 year old.

However, he struggled to break into the Hertha team, clocking up just 20 appearances in 3 years. He learnt a lot in his time at the German club, but as a perennial backup, he was not getting the experience he needed to progress.

Then, Mark Hughes got word from his scouts about Samba, and he was invited to Lancashire for a trial. 5 days were enough to convince Hughes of his potential and ability, and he signed a 3 and a half year deal, costing Blackburn a bargain sum of £400,000.

Initially, he seemed like one of those big lumps that managers like to play in the middle of defence - standing at 1.94 metres tall, he looked to be the kind of player that would be relied on to win headers, kick lumps of out forwards, and contribute with the odd goal from corners and free-kicks.Well, he has done all that, but he's also done so much more.

The most striking thing about him, is that for a guy of his size and build, his pace and athleticism are remarkable. A leggy character, he faced several tests last season against the likes of Thierry Henry, Craig Bellamy and Emmanuel Adebayor, and he demonstrated a fantastic combination of strength, power and pace to win those duels. He seldom loses a header, and he's increasingly been showing some good skill on the ball, and a good range of passing.

Not just good in individual clashes, he's also a vital part of the Blackburn defence. His performances put Lucas Neill in the shade last season, and this year he has acted as the defensive lynchpin, acting as more aggressive ball-winning centre-half alongside the more measured talents of Ryan Nelsen, Stephane Henchoz and Andre Ooijer.

He's also proved to be a very useful attacking option. Whilst his obvious asset is as a target in the box to try and score from set-pieces and corners, he's also managed to become a very intelligent decoy, and shown great awareness in his runs and flick-ons for teammates. With David Bentley and Morten Gamst Pedersen able to deliver dead balls with pinpoint accuracy, Blackburn have made set plays a huge part of their game, and Samba has been a big part of their efficacy in this regard.

Ultimately how much recognition he gets will depend on how well Blackburn do as a club, and Mark Hughes has had them improving every year. However if at some point they start to stagnate, don't be surprised to see one of the "Big Four" step in and move for Samba, because he's a top class defender.