Unai Emery admits sought out Watford boss Javi Gracia about English football when Arsenal first made contact.

Emery took over at the Emirates last summer but not before turning to his old pal for advice as Gracia had already been managing in England for six moths.

He said: “So when the possibility opened up to sign here, the first coach, the first person in the football world I called was him.

“I asked him some questions about the football here, the clubs, Arsenal, and he recommended to me that I come here.

“One day, I also met with David Silva in Valencia last year and he said to me, 'Coach, if you can, come to England, it is the best football and the best atmosphere for you also'.

“We played together [at Sociedad] for just one year in 1996. We sometimes talk away from football and spend time together. We had dinner, their coaches and with our coaches, one day in St Albans in September. We spoke about football here, English football and their experience because they were here six months before us.

“It was a good conversation about football because Javi Gracia is also a football man. They are my friends, not only Javi Gracia but also his assistant Zigor Aranalde and Iñigo Arteaga. We know the assistant coaches and Javi Gracia and we appreciate them."