I had to leave Arsenal despite my £20m deal - and I have no regrets

Former Arsenal and Chelsea winger Willian, now with Greek side Olympiacos, has opened up about his plans to become a football agent in the wake of witnessing how easily football careers can be derailed. The experienced Brazilian wants to manoeuvre young talents away from common pitfalls in the sport.

In a candid interview with the Daily Telegraph, Willian spoke out to caution players: "You can kill your career, your life, if you don't have good people who always say the truth." He also expressed concern for impressionable young stars: "Young players need to be careful...

"In football, things can come easy; money, everything you want, everyone wants to be your friend. I'm always worrying about what goes on outside the pitch. Maybe you have 15 years to build your life, to invest well your money and then maybe in five minutes you can destroy it."

Reflecting on his challenging stint at Arsenal following his exit from London rivals Chelsea in 2020, he revealed the extent of the sacrifice to terminate his contract early: "When I left Arsenal, everyone knows it was not good. It was a difficult year for me. I decided to leave and, at that time I still had two more years contract and I just said to them; 'Listen, let's break the contract. It has not worked the way we wanted'."

Despite signing a lucrative three-year deal with the Gunners at that juncture, Willian left after just 12 months, foregoing an estimated £20million in wages. The Brazilian winger, known for his integrity, also touched on his financial decisions, saying: "I don't think about money. I know money is important, for sure.

"But it's not the first thing in my life. For me, God first. Then my family, then football. Then the other things. But I wasn't happy so that's why I decided to leave." Looking ahead, Willian isn't considering hanging up his boots just yet, though, hinting he could play into his 40s with that fast approaching.

Willian has made six appearances for Olympiacos after joining in September - with the majority of those coming in the Europa League. An ankle injury has resulted in his minutes being limited but he has helped his side secure seven points from a possible 12 to place them 11th.

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