Marouane Chamakh says he owes his move to Arsenal to Laurent Blanc.
Like France coach Blanc, Chamakh left Bordeaux in the summer for a new challenge.
He told the Daily Mail: "I've learned things from all the coaches I've played for, going back to when I was a kid. I always made sure I listened and respected them. I've remembered lots of little pieces of advice along the way, so you could say each coach had an influence on me. They have all played a part in my development.
"But in Laurent Blanc I got the coach I needed at that stage of my career. I needed a character and a coach who could help me move to the next level. 'It's fair to say the fact that I'm now an Arsenal player is down to his advice and his experience as a player."
It seems Chamakh's talent for mathematics proved useful in absorbing the advice he received from Blanc.
"He told me that statistics are important for a striker,' he says. 'He believed that in the past I had been too generous towards my teammates, stressing that for a forward it's important to get on the scoresheet as well as get assists.
"That, he said, is what you will be judged on, and I took it on board."
