France World Cup-winner Patrick Vieira has retired as a player to take up a new role of football development executive at current club Manchester City, the English Premier League side said Thursday. Born in Senegal the 35-year-old midfielder won three Premier League titles with Arsenal and four FA Cups before adding another FA Cup with City as the club ended their 35-year-wait for silverware by beating Stoke in last season's final.
He also won 107 caps for France and was a member of their 1998 World Cup winning side. "This role is a fantastic new challenge for me and I am very grateful to Manchester City for offering me this opportunity," Vieira, who also won the European Championship with France in 2000, said in a City statement.
"I have a lot to learn about the non-playing areas of the business but there are many very experienced people here for me to learn from and I am confident that I can make a significant contribution to the club's ongoing success." According to City, Vieira's new post will entail "a wide ranging role, helping to deliver the club's social responsibility programme, both in the UK and abroad, as well as working closely with City's commercial partners".
Vieira, who became manager Roberto Mancini's first signing at City in January 2010, having worked with the Italian at Serie A side Inter Milan, added: "I am particularly pleased to be given the opportunity to work with the club's community scheme. He made his name in English football at Arsenal after joining the London club from AC Milan in 1996. At Arsenal, he became club captain and was a member of the 'Invincibles' team that did not lose a Premier League match in the 2003-04 season. But his career with the Gunners also saw him collect 10 red cards.