On September 30, Giroud celebrated his 40th birthday. For this occasion, the French striker gave an exclusive interview to L'Équipe. In the third part of the interview (which we divided into four parts due to its length), he reflects on his experiences at Arsenal and Chelsea.

At what point did you feel your career truly take off?

Joining Arsenal in 2012. The 2011-12 season at Montpellier was one of the best seasons of my career; it elevated me to a different level. When I came to Arsenal, I truly entered a prestigious club, felt the high standards and excellent facilities. I even played my second match at Anfield, and the fans sang for me using the melody of "Hey Jude." At that time, I wasn't fully aware of what was happening, but I was deeply moved (laughs).

However, your experience in England wasn't always smooth. The Daily Mail once wrote that Chelsea "preferred the invisible man over Batman," with Batman being Batshuayi's nickname at the time. There was also the saying, "Under Lampard, Giroud is like a fish out of water." Did you see those reports?

I hadn't seen that (laughs). I never cared too much about what others said about me, and I hope to teach that to young players. You have to build a shield around yourself, otherwise it's difficult to move forward. But some rumors always reach your ears eventually. I also faced criticism at Arsenal, but I turned the situation around.

Regarding my time under Lampard, I initially intended to leave before Euro 2020 to seek more playing time. In the final three days of the transfer window, I met with him to find a solution. I was very close to joining Inter Milan at that time, and fate ultimately led me to AC Milan the following year.

Is there a difference in emotional intensity between scoring now, scoring when you were young, and scoring in the World Cup, or is the joy always consistent?

It's always absolutely incredible, and that's what I'll miss most after retirement. The feeling of scoring is invaluable. I have a son who is a striker, but he also likes to be a goalkeeper. I asked him, "What do you want in football? To score goals, to experience extreme emotions, or to make saves?"

But what truly sets the entire stadium on fire and is irreplaceable is the feeling of scoring a goal. Of course, some goals are more crucial and spectacular, like the scorpion kick that won the Puskás Award in 2017.

Look at my expression at that moment—full of surprise at scoring such a brilliant goal. And the header against England in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal, you could see a mix of anger, joy, and enthusiasm on my face. I almost cried at that moment.

Have you ever actually cried?

Not quite, but after being booed by fans at Nantes for three days, I scored two goals in a match against Scotland at Metz, helping the team win 3-0. Evra then shouted, "Look, number 9 is back!" At that moment, my emotions surged.

You once said, "I want to leave a mark in history." Have you done that?

Yes, I have. I want people to remember me, and I want my children to know my story. My two sons are now 8 and 10 years old, and they're already searching for videos of their father's matches online, watching them with great interest. That's why you want people to remember your highlights and achievements on the pitch. Off the pitch, I'm confident people also appreciate my character.

At Lille, you've gained recognition from everyone, and Ayase Ueda also greatly admires you.

Integrating into a new environment is very important, even though he's my competitor on the pitch. You know, even though I'm 40 years old, the coach knows I'm not here just to make up the numbers. I won't give up easily, and I'll give him a tough match on the weekend. But when Ayase Ueda first arrived, I asked him if he had found a home.

I also spoke with him about a Japanese player I once worked with at Grenoble. I even remember Takuya Miyamoto, whom I met during Arsenal's tour of Japan. On February 22, 2007, against Le Havre, his assist led to my first professional goal! The goalkeeper in that match was Mandanda.

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