Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has revealed that ex-Arsenal team-mate Alexandre Lacazette is the former colleague he credits most with having the biggest impact on his career.
The 33-year-old has played in some of the most high-profile dressing rooms throughout his career that has seen him don the shirts of some of the continent's biggest clubs including AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea. In that time, he credits an ex-Gunner with having the most effect on him.
In many ways it makes sense, Aubameyang's time at the Emirates was his arguably best spell at club level. The Gabon international almost single-handedly guided the Gunners to the 2020 FA Cup and netted 92 goals across all competitions in north London.
Nowadays, he plies his trade in the west of the capital for Arsenal's rivals Chelsea. After six months at Barcelona, Aubameyang returned to England on deadline day last summer to put pen to paper with the Blues and burn his bridges with the Gunners faithful.
Despite this, he still clearly holds a lot of affection for one of his former Arsenal teammates. Aubameyang, when asked who his closest teammate has been throughout his career, told BBC Sport: "If I have to choose one I think it’s Lacazette. For sure, because in bad times he helped me a lot."
The Frenchman is now back at Lyon but while the pair were at Arsenal together they struck up a particularly close friendship and would often celebrate goals together with their trademark handshake celebration.
This coming Sunday Aubameyang will face off with his former side at Stamford Bridge for the first time since his acrimonious Emirates exit after he fell out with old boss Mikel Arteta.
The pair failed to see eye-to-eye over the striker returning from a mid-season trip to France later than expected and it proved to be one disciplinary breach too many in the eyes of the Arsenal manager.
All eyes will be on the two of them, especially after just last month Aubameyang was forced to address a leaked video that showed him criticising Arteta's handling of big players in the dressing room.
"Managing big players, big characters - he can't deal with it," the Gabon international claimed in the video before another person in the room interjected by suggesting Arteta doesn't have "good people skills."
One day later Aubameyang issued a statement on Twitter in a bid to try and offer some clarity around the situation.
"Aware there is a video out that was recorded just after I arrived at Barca," he wrote.
"At the time I still had a lot of bad feelings in me - Arsenal are doing great things this season and I wish all my old guys well, just not on November 6 [when Arsenal play Chelsea]. Now full focus on tomorrow."
