'I had three years of sitting next to Bergkamp in the changing room'

Francis Jeffers has recalled how he took the call telling him his move to from Everton to Arsenal was on while in Magaluf and reflected on his time at the club between 2001 and 2004.

Speaking to former team-mate and childhood friend Wayne Rooney on The Wayne Rooney show, Jeffers recalled : "I was actually in BCM nightclub in Magaluf. Honestly, that's where I got the call to say, 'this deal's happening at Arsenal, you better get home'.

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"It had been muted, and it was tough because I'm a massive Evertonian.

"I go and meet David Dein and Arsene Wenger and the deal's quickly done. And I'm an Arsenal player.

"It was tough. I remember being in the car with my mum and dad leaving Highbury and had real happiness, but also a lot of sadness. That Everton badge that meant so much to me.

"I went down there on my own, which was tough. But there's no excuses - the bottom line is I wasn't good enough to get in the team.

"There's no shame in saying that. It was mostly Thierry [Henry] and Dennis [Bergkamp] that played, then [Nwankwo] Kanu, [Sylvain] Wiltord and myself.

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"I got down there and sat on the bench. In the first season we won the Double, so I think I was proved right in saying I wanted to go and join the best team. They were by far the best team that season.

"I was number nine at Arsenal, an iconic number. Dennis Bergkamp was number 10, so I had three years of sitting next to Dennis Bergkamp in the changing room, talking football, talking life.

"I never got a medal and that was another disappointment. I think now you need five appearances - back then, you needed 10. So that killed me.

"If you play a game in the Premier League, you've contributed, haven't you?"

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