Robert Jonquet
Robert Henri Jonquet (3 May 1925 – 17 December 2008) was a French footballer who played as a defender. He played the majority of his professional career for the club Reims, winning five French championships and appearing in two European Cup finals. He is considered one of the best central defenders of his time. Nicknamed "The Hero of Highbury" after an outstanding individual performance against England in London in 1951, Jonquet was integral to the France national team of the 1950s, playing at the World Cup finals of 1954 and 1958. Early life Robert Henri Jonquet was born on 3 May 1925 in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. Playing career 1946–1956 During his youth, Jonquet played in the surrounding countryside of southern Paris in Châtenay-Malabry, and afterwards for the Société Sportive Voltaire. In 1946–47, he played his first season at Reims in the division 1. He became a first-team player, and in the spring 1947, he was called up for the first time to the France national team. Jonquet was relatively short (1.76 m) for his playing position, but as a libero, played with elegance and talent in the number 5 shirt, rather than in the mould of a typical