Arsenal signing was laughed at when he told player he was going to replace him

The former Arsenal star opened up on settling in at the Gunners and fighting for his place in the team

Emmanuel Eboue, the former Arsenal defender, has shared how his ex-teammate Lauren played a crucial role in helping him acclimate to life at the North London club, despite their initial competitive rivalry.

Eboue, who is now 42, made the move to Arsenal from Belgian side Beveren in 2004. The right-back spent seven seasons with the Gunners, even making an appearance in the 2006 Champions League final against Barcelona.

At Arsenal, Eboue found himself vying for the right-back position with Lauren. His Premier League debut came as a replacement for the injured Lauren during a match against Liverpool at Anfield in 2005.

Speaking to Ladbrokes at the launch of Ladisfaction, Eboue recalled the challenge he set for his competitor." At the very beginning, it was hard for me to get into the team because Lauren was already at the club, and was such a great player who had done so much in his career," he said.

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He added: "But I said to him, very early on, 'Lauren, listen to me... I'm here to play. I'm not here to sit on the bench'. He was laughing at me, and I wanted to let him know that I was serious."

Yet Lauren embraced Eboue. The former full-back continued: "You know, even though I was still so young, I wanted to play. And even though he was the person I was fighting against for a place in the team, he helped me so much... he made everything so easy for me."

Reflecting on his move to Arsenal, Eboue revealed how he overcame feelings of self-doubt and credited former Gunners manager Arsene Wenger with helping him settle into life at the club.

"I never felt like I was out of my depth at Arsenal, even though I was sharing a dressing room with some of the biggest names in the world at the time," he explained.

"My goal was always to play for a big club, so I knew I was good enough. Kolo Toure already being at the club made it too easy for me, in terms of settling in. And, like I said, there were so many French players within the side, that it was really easy for me to fit in.

"As a young player at the time, those guys really helped me a lot. For me, it was really easy to adapt to the league. When I first arrived, I think the fans were surprised by me, because I was so young and so skinny – I don't think any of the supporters thought that boy was going to go on and do so well for the club.

"When I arrived, Arsene Wenger spoke a lot with me and was keen to let me know what was expected of me. He knew it was going to be difficult for me at first, but he said he believed in me, and that was all that mattered. You know, when Arsene Wenger says that to you, you know you're going to be OK. All he wanted was for me to give my best."

Following his departure from Arsenal in 2011, Eboue enjoyed a successful stint at Galatasaray, where he spent three seasons collecting silverware. During his time in Turkey, he secured three Super Lig titles, two Turkish Cups and two Turkish Super Cups.

He later made a return to the Premier League with Sunderland. However, he departed from the Black Cats in April 2016, without having played for the club.