Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira ‘flattered’ by Arsene Wenger manager backing
Wenger has tipped the former midfielder to manage the Gunners one day
Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira was 'flattered' after Arsene Wenger tipped him to be a future Gunners boss.
Vieira led Nice to a seventh-placed finish in Ligue 1 in his first season as a manager in European football.
He had previously coached at Manchester City and spent over two years in charge of MLS club New York City.
Last month, Wenger, who joined the Gunners at the same time as Vieria in 1996, praised his former captain for constructing his career 'intelligently and patiently' and sees the 42-year-old returning to Arsenal one day.
Vieira said: “I’m really privileged to have worked under Arsene and him saying that is really flattering.
“If I manage Arsenal one day I will take him for dinner and I will pay the bill!
“He didn't say it to put pressure (on me). It's just flattering that the guy who spent over 20 years there thinks I have the quality to manage a big club like Arsenal one day.”
Vieira played for Cannes and AC Milan before moving to Arsenal, where he won three Premier League titles and three FA Cups.
He joined Juventus in 2005 and went on to feature for Inter Milan and Manchester City.
Vieira, who was linked with succeeding Wenger last summer before Unai Emery was appointed Arsenal manager, revealed he would ‘love’ to manage one of his former clubs.
He said: “Since I was in Manchester City I had a clear idea about the next step for me.
“Moving from City to New York in the MLS and then coming back to the French league was the right decision.
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“I have a clear idea of what I want to achieve, and I will try to take the right decision to get to the top.
“I want to take my time to get there, but I would love one day to manage one of the teams I played for in Italy or England.
“When you have an exciting league like in England, you always want to get involved. But I don't put a time on it, because my work will decide if I deserve it or not. That is what will dictate if I deserve this kind of job.”