Interview

Auba - I practised the flip on the sofa first!

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's front flip goal celebration is well known to Arsenal fans - but how did he first perfect it?

Speaking to Ian Wright as part of an exclusive interview on Arsenal Player filmed in February, the Gabon international discusses the process, and how it started on the sofa.

PEA: What is your favourite celebration?

IW: I remember… it was the first goal of the season for 98 and I went through this phase where everything I was watching was Michael Jackson. You can’t do a moonwalk on the football pitch because it’s going to get stuck and it will look stupid, but I was doing the Michael Jackson noise and everything in front of the Leeds fans! I was all over Michael Jackson at that time, I was all over him.

PEA: For me, it’s my flip.

AL: With him, me too.

PEA: I feel so free.

IW: I like the panther, man! Anybody who I see do this one (the flip), it worries me, man. If I was your manager, I’d say you can’t do this!

PEA: Why, though?

IW: Because if you get that wrong and you land…

PEA: I’ve been doing it for too many years now!

IW: You’ve got it perfected?

PEA: Yeah!

IW: I can’t even imagine the first time you said, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna do the celebration’, but obviously you practised? Did you practice in training?

PEA: I practised at home first on the sofa! On my bed!