Arsenal midfielder Alex Song credits former Liverpool defender Rigobert Song, his uncle, as a big influence on his career.

"I'm close to my uncle and he speaks to me all the time," Song told the official Arsenal magazine. "If I have something troubling me, I can talk to him. He knows the job, he's played at the top level and he can give me advice when I need it."

Alex now plays alongside Rigobert for Cameroon, and his international career is thriving. He was named in the team of the tournament after last year's Africa Cup of Nations, and played at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Alex said: "Before, when I went to the national team, some people would say I was there only because of my uncle.

"They would say, 'Maybe it's because we are family, blah-blah-blah'. But now people tell him, 'Your nephew is good, we're happy to have him'."