Bengaluru, October 15: Your heart still skips a beat when you hear the name Robert Pires. The former Arsenal star who has come a long way following his incredible six-year stint with the Gunners, has gone down in the pages of footballing history as one of the legends of the game.

The World Cup winner, who used to sport a long mane and a clean-shaven look on the field, still steals everyones hearts with his wide grin, short stubble and cropped hair. While his look has completely changed, so has his life. With his on-the-pitch life over, the 43-year-old is enjoying his second innings to its fullest and has no regrets whatsoever.

The French star, who is in the city for the Premier League live fest gave his fans a treat as he took part in a fan interaction organised by Puma on Saturday (October 14).

Pires, who joined Arsenal as a direct replacement for Marc Overmans in early 2000, left Arsenal as the sixth greatest player of the club. That more or less wraps up the legend’s six-year journey with the Gunners. The stalwart who has won three FA Cup titles and two Premier League titles, opens up about Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, Indian football and also about his experience of playing an integral part of the 'Invincibles’ team, that won the league title in 2003-04 unbeaten.

Excerpts:

You’ve known Arsene Wenger for a long time, and amidst all this criticism he is still at the helm and refuses to step down. Your thoughts on him:

Wenger is very strong, mentally. He has always been a great manager, and even now he is one. I really don’t know why people criticise him so much. It could be the new generation of Arsenal fans. I remember his first objective was to always win the title, especially the Premier League title since he knew it was very tough.

I don’t think he has changed much. I still train with the first team and I am closely in touch with him. He is the same manager, follows the same style of football and the same philosophy. He has spent money on players like Alexandre Lacazette but people are still criticising him. Unfortunately this is football and this is how life is.

Your favourite goal in an Arsenal shirt:

As an Arsenal player every game against Tottenham (Hotspur) is special. I have scored eight goals in the 12 games I have played against them and I think I’m very lucky. All the games that I have played against Tottenham were played with very good spirit and intensity. The atmosphere at White Hart Lane was always amazing. If I had to pick one special goal it would be the one I scored at White Hart Lane when we won the title.

You’ve played with the Invincibles but you’ve held your own and created a cult for yourself:

When you talk about the Invincibles team, I’m very proud to have played with that team. There were great players on the team, like Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Freddy Ljunberg. It’s not only names. It was a team. We played as one team and not as individuals. Our objective was always the same — to win the trophy. It’s very important to win the Premier League but if you win it unbeaten, it’s amazing.

Earlier Thierry Henry had mentioned that you’ll used to win the games mentally even before the match started.

We always took it game by game. When you play a game on Saturday, you don’t think about the next game. You need to be focussed and committed and you need the spirit to win. Spirit has always played a key role, especially in the UK, because Premier League is very tough. It’s not only Manchester United, or Man City, Chelsea or Tottenham who are tough. Even the worst teams can trouble you the most. The games against Leeds, Bolton and Blackburn were not always easy and it was important to win those games to win the title.

In the current squad, who would you say is a Wenger-type player?

I still get to train with the first team. The likes of Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanches are of course great players. But if I had to pick a Wenger-type player it would be Alex Iwobi. He’s got a very good future ahead of him and its very important for him to stay at Arsenal.

You’ve played in different countries, leagues. How different was it?

Its very difficult to compare. I’ve played everywhere - Spain, France, UK, India and its different everywhere. In UK its very difficult, very strong, whereas in Spain its more relaxed, more technical. I got a really good opportunity to play in other countries as well, and that has helped me become a better footballer.

Now that your playing career is over, how is your new innings going?

I am engaged in a lot of things. It’s different. But it’s nice. I am quite enjoying it. With my hairstyle my life has also changed! I am getting more time with my kids and I’m getting to travel a lot as well. Its been an enjoyable ride so far.

You have played in ISL, and now India is taking baby steps towards world football. Your thoughts on Indian football.

My hope is to see an Indian player become very famous one day. I believe hard work is the key. There is a lot of talent but you need hard work with that. You have to get up early every morning! You should have more foreign managers in the country. Obviously European football is not the same, so you need more managers from outside. You need more academies as well. When I used to play for Goa, I saw some very good players. There is a lot of talent but for this you need a good manager.

Moreover, I did watch the game against Ghana. They did lose but the young boys are quite talented and if given the proper training these Indian boys have a bright future. Even the national team is doing well and football is definitely coming up in the country.

This is not your first trip to the country, but definitely your first in Bengaluru.

I love India and I always love coming back here. This is my first trip to Bangalore though, and I’ve gotten a very good impression. They love football a lot and specially the premier league, and of course Arsenal (he added with a cheeky grin).

Fans get up close with Arsenal legend Robert Pires