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Koscielny - I live for my children now

Laurent Koscielny says becoming a father changed his life - and has given him extra motivation to succeed on the pitch.

The Arsenal centre back is set to start France’s Euro 2016 semi-final against Mesut Ozil’s Germany on Thursday.

Koscielny will be cheered on by his two children, and says they have had a huge impact on him and his career.

“When you are a father, you know your life has changed. Now you don’t live for you, you live for your kids,” he told Arsenal Player. “You want to give them a good education.

“It is a different life but I enjoy it because my kids are amazing. I’m happy to be at home and prepare with them. Sometimes in life there are some difficult situations, but that is life. It is like this, you can have some good moments and some bad moments.

“It is difficult because when you play every three days, you go away and you don’t spend a lot of time at home. Sometimes when you are tired you don’t want to do a lot at home.

“When we have a bad result it is difficult. I don’t talk a lot. When you arrive at home, you need to leave your bad result, your bad things and your bad session outside your house to come in and be happy.

“I think when I have a bad result, [my kids] are there to give me a smile because they are amazing. When you have a bad moment, you have your family and kids to help you be stronger and forget the bad result and be happy.

“Everything I do between now and the future will be for my children. I don’t stop living my life, but I will live for my children. They will have the best life. They speak English so it will be better for them in their future. I want the best things for them.”