Seven years ago, it seemed only a matter of time before Slaven Bilic would end up managing in the Premier League.

Having guided his native to Croatia to famous home and away wins over England in Euro 2008 qualifying, the former international defender then took the team to the tournament in Austria and Switzerland as one of the favourites.

But since a gut-wrenching defeat to Turkey in the quarter-finals, the current Besiktas manager's career seems to have stalled somewhat.

He takes his team to the Emirates for the second leg of a Champions League qualifier against Arsenal. But what has been up to in the interim?

• Despite plenty of external offers, Bilic actually stayed on as Croatia manager until just after 2012. That period between Euro 2008 and 2012 saw him miss out on the World Cup in South Africa, while the Croats bowed out of Euro 2012 in a tough group featuring Spain, Italy and Ireland.
• Remaining popular in Croatia, Bilic made the somewhat strange choice of becoming manager of Lokomotiv Moscow in the summer of 2012. The Russian club had finished fifth in the previous season and instead of improving on that position, the club went backwards under Bilic in 2012/13 finishing down in ninth. Of the that poor season, he said: "It’s like a mosaic, several things came together. There’s my lack of experience of working in Russia, squad instability, injuries, bad luck and a lot else." He was sacked at the end of that season and made the move to Turkey.  
• Bilic has been somewhat rehabilitated at Besiktas who he led to a creditable third place last season, playing  vibrant attacking football. That was enough for Champions League football given that Turkish champions Fenerbahce remain barred from European competition. It is believed that he still has ambitions of managing in England one day, so a win over Arsene Wenger's Arsenal tonight will be prove to be a timely reminder for clubs in the Premier League.