Alex Song has opened up on his obsession with money and revealed he 'didn't think twice' about leaving Arsenal for Barcelona once he learnt how much he would be earning at the Camp Nou.
Cameroon midfielder Song made the £15million switch from London to Catalonia in the summer of 2012.
Now the 32-year-old, who was sacked by Swiss club FC Sion in March for refusing to take a pay-cut amid the coronavirus pandemic, has explained how the decision eight years ago was not difficult due to the finances involved.
'I met Barca's sporting director, and he told me I would not get to play many games,' Song said in an Instagram live chat with professional basketball player and compatriot Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors.
'But I didn't give a f***. I knew that now I would become a millionaire. When Barcelona offered me a contract, and I saw how much I would earn, I didn't think twice'
'I always say, a young man of 20 who drives a Ferrari is poor, because at 20 you haven't done anything yet. But a man of 50 who drives in a Bentley, is a man to respect.'
Song, who signed for Arsenal in 2006 and made 215 appearances for the club, has also revealed how he was blown away by Thierry Henry's car when he arrived at training.
'When I arrived at Arsenal... I arrived at training then I saw the king arrived (Thierry Henry) with a car but damn, the car was a jewel and therefore I told myself that I needed the same car whatever the cost,' Song admitted.
'I swear that after two months I had my car returned, all my money was going to fuel and I told them give me a Toyota.
'When I got to training, Titi asked me "but son where is the car" I told him "big this car it's not at my level!"'