Robert Pires
When you are young and you join Arsenal, the communication with the manager is very important.Collection: Communication
In England, football is a religion. In France, football is not a religion. It's wine and food.
I learned a lot from Zinedine Zidane with the national team.
You cannot compare the way someone plays for a club and for a national team. At a club, you spend every day with the same players. In a national team, you are with your team-mates for only a few days.
All the coaches I've had have been important for me, whether it was Joel Muller at Metz, Rolland Courbis at Marseille, Manuel Pellegrini at Villarreal or Roger Lemerre with Les Bleus. All of them were important along the way, and each of them had faith in me and let me play.
When one is small, one always looks up at someone. To me, it was my father, Antonio, a former amateur football player. He was a striker of great talent. He has always been a role-model.
For me, I like to play several games a week because it will help maintain your physical levels throughout the season. Besides, that's what we like to do as footballers.
I enjoyed India a lot. I learned a lot and came face to face with the poverty there, which is very, very tough. One thing's for sure: I no longer have the right to complain about anything. That's impossible now. But I discovered a beautiful country, fabulous and very welcoming people, and the local cuisine.
In Spain, we always talk about Madrid and Barca for the title and that is normal because they are the two teams with the most history.
When you are an ex-footballer you want to stay with the one team and one club, and Arsenal is my club.
Sometimes, a national team's shirt is heavy.
At 15, I was playing with the C team at Reims and I wanted to leave. It's a difficult age for a kid - I wanted to go out with my mates, party... girls... that happens to everyone. Luckily, my mum told me: 'You don't know what you want, it's football - it's your dream and it could be a great job.' She was right.
Zico is a great manager and he knows the game perfectly.
It would be very good news for the Premier League if Zidane moved to England.
I think Mbappe will win the Ballon d'Or, there's no doubt about that.
Mbappe always performs whether that's in Ligue 1, Champions League or with the France national team.
I believe one must always put events into perspective.
I believe one's relatives are the most important people of all, they form a protective circle around you.
The bond I feel for my parents is very strong.
For me, the goals were not important, but instead to lift some silverware at the end of the season. That is the objective for a footballer.
I started playing with my dad, and football was my dream forever. Step by step, I learnt a lot. I worked really hard, and finally when I was eighteen, I signed my first professional contract.
I love F1, the cars and the speed.
If you have the chance to go to MLS, it is a good opportunity.
If you look at La Liga, you will see how important the academies are when it comes to producing new talent. Academies play a major role and that is something India should understand.
Unai Emery's philosophy is to play good football and his experience with Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain makes him a great candidate for the Arsenal job.
It was a pleasure to play under Arsene Wenger. He was a great manager and I personally thank him for everything as he brought a new philosophy to the Premier League.
When people ask me the best player I played with, I always say Dennis Bergkamp. He just had so much class.
Arsenal needs Arsene Wenger, but also Arsene Wenger needs Arsenal. For me, he will die at Arsenal. He is like Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. After you think about Ferguson and United, you then think about Wenger and Arsenal.
It's not in Wenger's philosophy to go back and sign former players when they are older.
If you play in France, Spain or Italy it is not the same football, especially when you play in England. Every game is very difficult.
I believe in Giroud because he loves to fight, fight the good fight and not for himself, but for the team.
It's very tough in the U.K. For me, it was totally different. English football and French football are not the same.
Wenger helped me by talking to me almost every day in training.
I never expected to adapt so quickly, but if you are a foreigner it's up to you to adapt to English football because you can't change it. I think I've achieved something in the way I adapted.
I scored eight goals in 12 games against Spurs. I'm proud of this achievement because I know this rivalry is very important for the Arsenal fans - when you score eight times against Spurs you are an idol for them. And I know the Spurs fans hate me. I know this and it is a good sensation.
Playing for FC Goa was a great experience for me.
I love Villarreal. They are closer to my heart than any other club in Spain.
Diego Simeone is a great manager.
I believe Isco is a maestro.
People think this is easy to be a football player. They only see the summit but they don't see the ascent, which is far longer and tougher than the career peaks. And there are so few of us to reach the summits. Some might earn €305,000 per month but there are a lot more for whom life is hell.
Whether it's a coach or a player arriving during the season it's not easy.
Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry had more quality than Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus.
Patrick Vieira is better than Fernandinho.
Pires is better than... De Bruyne!
In 2000 I was really close to sign for Real Madrid. I was in Belgium, playing the European Championship. I even took a picture with the Real Madrid shirt because all the parties thought that it was a done deal. But Wenger called me several times and convinced me to sign for Arsenal instead.
Mourinho could train anyone. He is great.
Coaching with Wenger is a good opportunity to learn.
When you play for Arsenal you have to try to win all competitions.
For me, the best thing about being a footballer is that indescribable feeling when you are on a pitch doing your job. I don't know what to say - it's what I love.
When you haven't played for more than six months, scoring is the ultimate pleasure. It's ecstasy.