Arsenal midfielder Alexandre Song has revealed his first ever day with the north London club and spoken of the awe he felt at encountering some of the legendary players which made up Arsene Wenger’s squad in 2005. The Cameroon international joined the Gunners on an initial loan period before completing a permanent deal the following year in a deal worth £1m. After a rocky start, which saw the 22-year-old loaned to Charlton to gain experience, the enforcer has come to be a stalwart of the Emirates outfit’s midfield.
“It was July, 2005 and I came here with the chairman of Bastia,” Song told Arsenal TV Online.
“I walked into the dressing room and saw Robert [Pires], Thierry [Henry], Dennis [Bergkamp]. It was unbelievable; they were players you watch on the TV.
“I just asked myself ‘Alex, what are you doing here?’
“I was really impressed to see the big players I love to watch on the TV, I never forgot that.
“Thierry came to see me and said, ‘welcome to Arsenal.’
“Dennis asked, ‘Are you ok?’ But because I didn’t speak any English, I asked Thierry ‘what did this guy say?’
“He told me he said, ‘welcome to Arsenal, he’s very impressed.’
“I never forgot that, my heart was beating at like 200 beats per minute. It was unbelievable.”