99 Quotes by Gervinho

In China you have to be in peak form because you need to do well. You earn a lot - I had a huge salary - but then you have to prove you are worth it. Every match is a challenge and I played next to or faced some truly great players.

You must never forget where you came from.

I started playing football in Abidjan, my African town, without even having shoes on my feet.

I started playing at my local estate club. I used to wake up every morning to go to play in the club. I loved it so much, it brought a lot of wonderful things in my life.

I have good memories of my visit to China. It was a beautiful experience for me. I learned a lot of things. I hope Chinese football is still evolving, that they have the chance to sign other players to develop the league. We did our part of the job by bringing what we had to bring to Chinese football.

In Ivory Coast it's very hard to have normal shoes, so just imagine football boots - they were considered a true luxury.

The academy at Abidjan was my school of education. At 16, they sent me the boots and jersey with my name on the back. You can imagine how I felt: in the clouds.

Many young players tell you that they want to play for Manchester United or Arsenal. My dream was to play for Arsenal and I realised it. When I arrived, I thought: 'Wow, I'm here!'

Each of my clubs made an impression on me, but Arsenal was special.