Manu Petit talks to France Football

Translated by NewsReel correspondent Jean-François Deveze.

Voilà ma vraie vie...

"I've always dreamt to play in England even when I was a child. I used to read 'Tom Foot' and have always enjoyed watching english games on the telly. Their football doesn't look academical but suits me, keywords are generosity, effort and no cheating.

I'm however not sure I could have coped with English football three or four years ago. Arsène Wenger gave me advice, told me every foreign player goes through difficult times at their arrival here ; after a hearing at Lancaster Gate [translators note: which was held last season and ended in his first three game ban] he told me I should be the captain of France. Arsène Wenger and the other French players helped me a lot.

You have to choose carefully the club you sign for : take a look at Valéry and Perez (Blackburn), Wallemme (Coventry). They all left England within a season or want to leave... You need to be psychologically very strong to play here, and very, very strong if you choose to play for a club outside London. Not even Man. Utd or Liverpool would suit me.

When I arrived here the first thing I asked myself was 'What am I doing?' I had an irresistible urge to clear off. There were six very difficult months when I asked myself 'have I made a mistake?' and replied 'I wanted to play here, here I will succeed'. I recall how I felt after a match at Southampton, Carlton Palmer damaged my leg ; the coach realized I played badly and told me 'Be prepared to cope with such challenges, this is how some teams play here'. After getting home my girlfriend asked me 'What's wrong?' I managed to reply: 'I' m disgusted. I've finished a football match and I feel I've just met Jackie Chan or the teenage mutant hero turtles.' I thought then you had to be trained as a buddhist monk to cope with English football. [laughs] Here lays my real nature, it reawoke the warrior spirit that was sleeping in me. Here they have nicknamed me "The Lion".

Highbury is a 'magnifique' old stadium. The stadium and dressing-rooms exude football. The fans are so respectful towards you... they insult you during the game but afterwards will shake your hand and buy you a drink. The claims of friendship, of love. People say to you 'don't leave Arsenal, stay here all your life'. I never knew that in France. The love people give you here makes you want to do only one thing : return it.

I don' t know if the Highbury faithful know about it but I still do spare a thought to my brother before every game. There's no question of my failing to make these gestures. I stand in the penalty box ahead of the left post, pull up a blade of grass and watch towards the skies to see if my brother looks at me. When the ref is about to blow the whistle for KO I give accolade to Patrick Vieira and tighten up my right hand, wrap it into my left hand and give it a kiss. I finally hit my forehead and shin-pad. I'm ready now, it's instinctive. I am not guilty any longer... I should not talk about it, not anymore. It sounds as if I'm moaning over my self but I went through such torments...

I am now a happy man, I have waited such a long time to say 'I'm happy now'... I' ve lived two wonderful years and I don't say that only because of the World Cup. [FRANCE WON! sorry, translator getting carried away here. Ed]

I' d like to be remembered like Ian Wright or Cantona, both are mad and people like these two make the world progress. Eric and his charisma showed everyone you can be a mug, a talented, generous player... and French! I refused to attend many TV shows, both in England and France, I couldn' t see any interest in it... I accepted Ian' s invitation because I love this guy. People should follow his path. 'No bias'. To live one' s own life, to cry when one is in need for crying. He and I are from the same mould, even if he is more extrovert than I am.

I am still eager to win more trophies : the Champions League, the Intercontinental Cup."

[Translators note: Hope you enjoyed it. And to paraphrase a song of old : "Manu Petit... born is the Lion of Highbury" (sorry Chippy ;-)]

Watch out for more ArseWeb translations of our French players words to the French. Rumours that ArseWeb will shortly be produced completely in French are however grossly exagerrated.

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