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Alex Song has revealed that he once bought a flash car to emulate Thierry Henry during his time at Arsenal but was forced to return it after it proved too expensive to run. Song, who announced his retirement earlier this month, joined the Gunners in 2006 and spent six years in north London before leaving for Barcelona in 2012.
The Cameroonian midfielder was initially signed on loan from Bastia in 2005 and managed to impress Arsene Wenger enough to earn a permanent move a year later, which came with a significant wage increase. He went on to spend a decent chunk of his salary on a flashy car, the same one driven by Henry, but eventually returned it due to its sky-high running costs.
Speaking in an Instagram chat with Toronto Raptors basketball star Pascal Siakam, Song explained: “Most footballers live beyond their means. I was at Arsenal for eight years but only began to earn a good living in the last four. That was because my salary went up a lot, but also because I came to realise what a waster I was.
“When I first joined them I was getting £15,000 a week. I was a young lad and I was ecstatic. I wanted to rub shoulders with the big boys. I could shop wherever I wanted and have crazy nights out. I would go to training and see Thierry Henry, the King, turn up in an absolute gem of a car. I told myself I wanted the same car at all costs.
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“I went to the dealership, signed the papers and arranged to pay for it by standing order, and just like that I had the same car as the King, but I swear that I had to hand the car back inside two months. All my money was going on filling it with petrol. I told them: ‘Give me a Toyota – this car’s too much for me’.
“When I next went to training Thierry asked me: ‘Where’s your car, son?’. I told him it’s on a higher level than me. During my entire time at Arsenal I couldn’t even save £100,000, while people thought I must be a millionaire.”
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Song also revealed that his eventual move to Barcelona was motivated by money and not playing time, admitting that he ‘didn’t think twice’ about joining the Catalan giants when he became aware of the wages on offer.
“When Barcelona offered me a contract, and I saw how much I would earn, I didn’t think twice,” said Song. “I felt my wife and children should have comfortable lives once my career is over. I met Barca’s sporting director, and he told me I would not get to play many games, but I didn’t give a f***. I knew that now I would become a millionaire.”
Song ended up making 65 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions before joining Rubin Kazan on a free transfer in the summer of 2016. He went on to represent Swiss outfit Sion and Djiboutian club Arta/Solar 7 before announcing his retirement from professional football earlier this month.
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