Abou Diaby
Diaby: 'I still have lots to prove'
By Chris Harris
It was only a matter of time before Abou Diaby was described as 'the new Patrick Vieira'. After all, he's tall, French, of African descent and plays in the same position as the former Arsenal captain.
The comparisons are rather more compelling after a hugely promising start to Diaby's Arsenal career. However, the 19-year-old was quick to put such compliments into perspective when he spoke exclusively to Arsenal TV Online recently.
"I am very, very flattered when people say that," said Diaby. "But to reach his level, I will need to do lots and lots of work. He was and still is a reference point for me. But he is Patrick Vieira and I am Abou Diaby, and now I need to impose my own game.
"I don't think we can talk of the new Patrick Vieira. He played nine years at Arsenal and is a legend here. As for me, I still have lots to prove. Patrick is the example to follow, but I have proved nothing yet."
Diaby suffered an injury shortly before arriving at Highbury and needed time to recover. But as he showed during a man-of-the-match display at Birmingham on Saturday, Diaby has found his fitness and his form.
"I had a problem on my ankle and then I had a pain on my groin so I didn't play for a month before signing," he said. "The first week here was a bit hard physically but I feel better and better now."
Our exclusive interview with Diaby will be available on Arsenal TV Online soon. The young Frenchman talks about a range of topics including his upbringing, how his football career developed, working with Guy Roux at Auxerre, his decision to leave the French club, why he chose Arsenal and the prospect of playing in the Champions League.
[Tuesday, February 07, 2006]
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