“It was complicated to refuse” – Defender reveals Arsenal call ‘changed everything’, had to sign

Still playing football, Gaël Clichy, now 36 years of age, is plying in trade in Switzerland with Serviette FC.

The left-back signed for the Super League side in December of last year, where he is contracted until the summer, at which point he will certainly consider his future.

Prior to that, however, the Frenchman spent many years in the Premier League, first with Arsenal and then Manchester City.

Signed by Arsène Wenger in 2003 from Cannes, it took some time before he became a first-team player, originally blocked by none other than Ashley Cole.

Once the former England international left for Chelsea, however, the doors opened for Clichy, who became a staple of the Gunners for a number of years.

Speaking to Onze Mondial, the veteran defender opened up about many aspects of his career, including his original transfer from Cannes to Highbury.

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He said: “It’s true that a lot of clubs were interested, in France like abroad. The first idea was to take steps at the right pace. I could have signed in Ligue 2 to continue my progress and then go to Ligue 1. However, my dad called me one day and told me Arsène Wenger wanted to meet me. Of course, that changed everything.

“Arsenal, at the time, wasn’t the team that we know now, with no disrespect. It was a club of a superior dimension with players that everyone knows like Thierry Henry. One of my idols. I found myself face to face with Wenger. He praised met qualities. It was complicated to refuse. He speech was very well put together and sincere. He really wanted me to be a part of the adventure so that I could progress”.

Describing the former Gunners manager as ‘almost like a second father’, Clichy went onto make 264 appearances for the Premier League side, scoring two goals and picking 11 assists in the process before moving to Manchester City in 2011.