Giroud: When I first arrived at Milan, Ibrahimovic told me he was the only "king" there

On September 30, for Giroud's 40th birthday, the French forward was interviewed by L'Équipe. In the fourth part of the interview (divided into four parts due to its length), he reflected on his career.

Will you pressure Davide Ancelotti for more playing time at Arsenal?

Of course! He always says we can play together, but in the last three games, I've been on the bench. He shouldn't think I'm happy about that (laughs). But I'm thrilled to be going to Arsenal, it's fantastic, honestly, I've always dreamed of this.

Which opponents left a deep impression on you, even physically?

At Arsenal: Cazorla—his left and right foot technique was extremely outstanding, truly talented. Arsenal had so many great players. During my time at Chelsea: Hazard, Willian, Pedro, and the six months I played with Fàbregas. Like Cazorla, he had very high football intelligence.

In team training matches, some defenders show no mercy. Luiz, and also Koscielny—we're good friends, but I really didn't like playing against him.

Rudiger, Azpilicueta—they are all ironclad warriors. During my time at Milan, Leao was incredibly talented, it's a shame he didn't reach the heights he should have. The French national team... oh right, I also played against Ibrahimovic!

He'll be angry if you don't mention him!

(Laughs) Exactly! When I first arrived at Milan, he immediately put me in my place. After welcoming me, he said directly: "It's good you're here, but remember, there's only one king here, and that's me." He's a person with an incredibly strong personality; it's very rare to know him.

Mbappé said you were never the "chosen one"—do you agree?

Mbappé's career path is completely different. He is the "little prince" of football, had a phenomenal World Cup at 19, an impressive resume, and became captain of the French team at 25. As for me, I had to fight for everything myself, although Mbappé also put in immense effort.

Is this winding journey your greatest wealth?

It's more my pride. I know my origins. When you start your career, you dream of wearing the French jersey, but winning the World Cup and playing for your country over 100 times (ultimately 137 games, 57 goals)—these were beyond my wildest dreams.

The first time I wore the French national team jersey, it felt incredibly heavy. The first time the Marseillaise played, goosebumps ran all over me. I almost scored against the US. I couldn't have imagined that I would play 136 more times for my country. My career has long surpassed all the fantasies of my youth.

How do the young players in the locker room view you? For example, Ethan Mbappé?

The first time I met him was at the French team's hotel in Istra during the 2018 Russia World Cup. He was only 13 then. It feels strange to play alongside him now. Besides musical taste and clothing style, there isn't much of a generation gap between me and the youngsters.

I know how to adapt, and I have an optimistic personality. Some young players don't even know I won the Ligue 1 title with Montpellier in 2012. It's interesting; we talk about these things, and they don't know my past.

What advice do you want to give them?

Don't be impatient, don't skip steps, but also never waste time. Enjoy football, and play because you love it. Ultimately, the most important thing is to have no regrets. Compared to our generation, young people today have it easier.

When we were newcomers, the older players would haze us—cleaning boots and moving goalposts. Some teams still do this, but in the past, it often took one or two seasons to establish yourself. Now, some people only play as starters for three months and already want to move to a higher level. Everything is moving too fast.