Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira has admitted he still regrets turning down a move to Real Madrid to remain at the Emirates Stadium in 2002.
The midfielder was at the peak of his career at the time, with the Gunners having won the Premier League title in 1997-98 and 2001-02.
The club eventually won the title again in 2003-04, going unbeaten throughout the campaign and setting a record yet to be broken.
Vieira played key roles in those title-winning seasons, leaving Arsenal after nine seasons at the end of the 2004-05 campaign.
The Frenchman left for Serie A, playing for Juventus for a season before joining Inter Milan. He ended his career at Manchester City in 2011.
Vieira won 16 trophies at club level and also lifted the World Cup and European Championship with France.
However, he believes he should have joined Madrid when they came calling, revealing that the club president Florentino Perez made a personal approach to him.
“In football, you sometimes have to make a decision,” Vieira said. “At the time, I was too happy at Arsenal. I was too good at Arsenal. I was at home. And I didn’t want to leave.
“If I look at my career again, that can be one of my regrets, not to go to Madrid. I had a good conversation with the president, we talked, I remember it.
“I was just too happy at Arsenal to leave the club at that time, but it’s one of my biggest regrets.”
Perez was assembling the Galacticos at the time, and Vieira fitted the bill. However, a move did not materialise as he loved Arsenal and wanted to win the Champions League with them.
Unfortunately, the Frenchman did not win any European silverware with any of the clubs he played for, which is why he regrets not joining the star-studded Madrid team.
