Arsene Wenger to give himself ‘time to reflect’ as he prepares to leave Arsenal… but won’t look back as it would only make him emotional
ARSENE WENGER has revealed he will give himself "time to reflect" as he prepares to leave Arsenal... but won't look back as it would only make him emotional.
The French boss, 68, claims he "needs to commit energy" somewhere, but will not rush after 22 years at the Gunners.
Arsenal travel to Huddersfield today in Wenger's last-ever game in charge, in what's set to be an emotional affair.
Now, Wenger has told Sky Sports: "I need to look forward, I am a guy that does not look back much. Everywhere I have worked, I have done that.
"But I need a new project, I need to commit my energy to something else and now I think it is time for me to move away because I am not part of the future any more.
"So the quicker it finishes now, the better it is.
"I have to accept [my departure], it is part of the process and somebody has to come in now and take care of the future.
"When you are not part of that, it is better that it finishes and you move somewhere else.
CHECKING IN AND OUT Wenger arrives at hotel for his last Arsenal game looking calm and casual as he signs autographs
"I will feel sad, of course, because Arsenal was my life and I never envisaged anything else in my life.
"Becoming red and white and suffer for every defeat that we had and I will feel very, very, very sad.
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"But it is a problem I will have to face and get over it and deal with it as well as I can.
"And I have to give myself a little bit of time to reflect in myself and where do I want to go from there?
"That is my next challenge. If I look back, I would cry, but I will try not to. I will fight against it, but I was very emotional last week and I survived.
"I am a normal human being and I had the privilege to work for 22 years for this club and that is not common.
"So rather than feeling sorry for myself, I should be more grateful for what life has given to me and the privilege I had to do the job I love absolutely passionately for so many years.
"So I should laugh and say thank you very much."