Philippe Senderos: Playing for Arsenal was the highlight of my career (Interview for NewBettingSites.uk)

Former Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos has told NewBettingSites.uk that his time with the Gunners was the highlight of his 17-year professional career.

Speaking to NewBettingSites.uk, Senderos said: “I improved a lot as a player in my time at Arsenal. I came from the Swiss league having only played a handful of games there, so moving to the Premier League was a big step.

“When I look back, I consider that, while I might have been good in Switzerland, the Premier League is a different level. At Arsenal, I moved to a team that had some really special players that helped me to kick on and improve.

“The time I spent at Arsenal has to be my favourite period of my career. I moved there when I was just 18 and was there for nearly seven years. I created a strong bond with lots of my teammates as well as the fans and the club – it was a really special time for me. I’m always happy to go back to the Emirates.”

Wenger drew me towards Arsenal

Ex-Switzerland defender Senderos named former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger as one of the key reasons behind his choice to move to North London, rather than going elsewhere in Europe.

He added: “Arsenal had been following me for a couple of years before I signed for them. I was playing for the Switzerland Under-17s and we won the Euros; things started moving pretty quickly after that. I had a few teams interested in me and I had to make a decision.

“I had very open talks with Arsène Wenger. It was amazing for me as a 17-year-old playing in Switzerland to be having talks with Wenger. We would talk mainly about football, rather than money, contracts, or anything like that. That was something that really drew me towards Arsenal.

“I could see there was an opportunity for me to play in the first team because there were already examples of other young players getting a chance, which motivated me to sign even more.”

I will never forget beating Madrid at the Bernabeu

Senderos cited Arsenal’s 2006 Champions League quarter-final victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu as one game in his career that he will never forget.

He said: “The Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu is a game that always sticks out to me. That was when I realised my dreams had come true as a footballer. I always dreamt of playing against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu and to beat them was even more special. I had posters of the Galácticos in my room when I was growing up so it was an amazing moment for me.

“Before the game, though, you have to put that all to one side and just focus on your job. I had to keep doing what I had been doing before, prepare my game, and try to stay focused. It was not easy to keep my nerves and emotions under control until kick-off. Once the game started, all of that went away, but before the whistle there are so many things going through your mind.”