Lauren revealed he was so fit because he secretly boxed during every pre-season at Arsenal
Sports Lens spoke with former Arsenal ‘Invincible’ and Premier League winner, Lauren
Former footballer Lauren Bisan-Etame Mayer admitted that he was so fit because he boxed during every pre-season at Arsenal – but hid it from the club!
Here's what the Cameroonian defender had to say:
I was so fit because I boxed during every pre-season at Arsenal – but I hid it from the club
“I still like to train with childhood friends over in Spain, I’ve moved into kickboxing over the last seven or so years and away from just simply boxing. I started boxing 23 years ago, but I could never say I did it when I was a professional at Arsenal because it’s sort of like skiing and a bit taboo. But every summer, I used to come back to Spain with my childhood friends and we would spar in their boxing gym.
“I did it because it kept my fitness levels so high, the training sessions and the intensity were so demanding.
“I returned to Arsenal so fit because it was so demanding and so tough. Mentally, I switched during tough games because I knew I had put myself through the hard work.”
Thierry Henry was better than Samuel Eto’o – he is Arsenal’s greatest player ever
“I always choose Thierry Henry, even though I played with some great players like Kanu, Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp, Marc Vivien Foe.
“He had similar mental strength to Samuel Eto’o, but I’d always pick Thierry Henry because he wanted to win everything – that was just his mentality – he wanted to be the best in every single game.
“Even in training, small-sided drills, he wanted to be number one. This was the reason he became Arsenal’s top goalscorer.
“He was committed, ambitious and we sometimes couldn’t even handle him in training! As well as the technical quality and the speed, he just had the mentality to be the best. For me, he is the greatest player in Arsenal’s history and also their top scorer.”
Cristiano Ronaldo was my hardest opponent – but Lionel Messi is a better player
“In my opinion, I would stick with Lionel Messi as the greatest because he gives you more as a player. But Cristiano’s mental strength is what has made him into the player he is now, it is what has allowed him to be so successful. But for me, I would choose Messi."
Arsene Wenger never lost his temper
“I have never seen him lose his temper! I’ve grown up and spent all of my life in Spain, specifically in the south.
“People from the south are very different from people in the north; they have a very different mentality, they are extremely excitable!
“It’s the same passion as in the south, but they have a very strict mentality. Overall, he is a top manager.
“The way he alternates between different tactics and different structures is incredible. He can play a 4-3-3, which can morph into a 4-2-3-1, then into a 4-1-4-1 is the sign of a top manager.”
We will have to wait to see if this Arsenal team is better than the Invincibles
“Since 2005, Arsenal have always had good squads. I remember the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta – these players were all in really good teams. We came very close to winning the Champions League in 2006, but we didn’t perform well and lost to Barcelona.
“We will have to wait until the end of the season to see where this team ranks, but they absolutely need to win the Premier League before they can be considered the best team since 2004.
“I’m never a huge fan of comparing different generations, I believe it is a sign of weakness. This team and this current generation have been performing very well since the start of the season.”
I was worried about Arsenal’s mental resilience, but they’ve shown they can win the Premier League
“I always believe in positive thinking and I think this team has been absolutely brilliant since the beginning of the season.
“I was very concerned about this team and how they would cope mentally. When you get to this stage of the season, this period brings pressure and anxiety. If this team is capable of managing that pressure and that anxiety, I think that they have a great chance of winning the league.
“They have proved that in the last couple of games – especially against Bournemouth. To bounce back from two goals down when you’re at the top and under pressure is not easy to do.
“This team has shown maturity and how to control the emotional parts of the game, that was what was brilliant in the Bournemouth game.”
Article sponsored by HÖRFA
