Portal:Football in Africa/Selected biography/22

Eric Bailly is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for English club Manchester United and the Ivory Coast national team.

Born in Bingerville, Bailly joined RCD Espanyol's youth system in December 2011, aged 17. He only received a work permit in October of the following year, and made his senior debuts in the 2013–14 campaign with the reserves, in Segunda División B. On 5 October 2014, Bailly made his first-team – and La Liga – debut, coming on as a late substitute in a 2–0 home win against Real Sociedad. He went on to become a first-team regular before signing for Villarreal in January 2015. After a successful season in which the team reached the last four of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League, he joined Manchester United in June 2016 for a reported £30 million.

He made his international debut for the Ivory Coast in a friendly against Nigeria on 11 January 2015. He appeared in all of his team's six matches at that year's Africa Cup of Nations, helping them to win their second title in the competition's history.