But there's always a time when you have to leave and this was the time for me. I'm really looking forward to this season and trying to add to my collection of medals.

The surroundings are great, it is a fantastic area and the facilities are superb. You need the players as well and they have brought them in. The squad is good enough to challenge. Hopefully I can bring a bit of experience, as I know how to win trophies.

Arsenal are going through a transition period. They got rid of Patrick Vieira and haven't really replaced him.

When I used to play for Arsenal, we always got a good result here, a few 4-1s and a 6-1,

We have definitely put pressure on ourselves and the (Sunderland) game becomes a must-win for us, and with Villa at home the following Saturday, it will be a very important week for this football club.

There was a time when there was a month after Iowa and New Hampshire before any other states voted, and then a slow build up to the end of June. Recently, everybody is trying to move up to February.