Patrick Vieira's significant contribution to Arsenal was not enough to earn him a post-retirement return to the club he served with such distinction for nine years and one he had hoped to finish his career at.
‘I've never been contacted by anyone to manage or get involved with the club,’ Vieira once said. ‘I was expecting something from them, but it didn't come.’
But it has helped him gain a respect that has provided the foundation for the managerial career he has built elsewhere – at New York City FC, Nice and now Crystal Palace, achieving one of his big aims to manage in the Premier League in the process.