‘Arsene Wenger showed me the Arsenal training ground and I was convinced. Then my team-mate said he was going to Liverpool so I decided on Anfield instead’ Why Florent Sinama Pongolle turned down the Gunners

They say blood is thicker than water, and that proved to be the case for Florent Sinama Pongolle, who had something of a Sliding Doors moment in 2001.

The French forward was one of Europe’s hottest properties after impressing in the UEFA European U16 Championship and FIFA U17 World Championship, earning the player of the tournament nod at the latter as France swept to the title.

With scouts from the continent’s top clubs in attendance, the youngster was not short of options - as was his team-mate and cousin, Anthony Le Tallec.

Why Sinama Pongolle snubbed Arsenal for Liverpool

“It was an intense time,” Sinama Pongolle tells FourFourTwo. “We lost the final of the Under-16 Euros to Spain, who had Andres Iniesta and Fernando Torres, who I was tied with as the top scorer.

“As the runners-up, we went on to play at the U17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago three months later. We reached the final against Nigeria, who had beaten us in the group stage.

“But in the final, we won 3-0. I finished as top scorer and player of the tournament – that’s when the big clubs started to notice me. Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool were all interested.

“I went to London to meet Arsene Wenger. He showed me the training ground, explained the project, and in my mind I was convinced. But then I spoke to my Le Havre team-mate Anthony Le Tallec, and he told me he was going to Liverpool.

“After hearing that, I felt the best thing was for us to keep playing together, so in the end I decided to move to Anfield instead.”

Sinama Pongolle remained at Le Harve on loan, with Le Tallec for a further two years after signing for the Reds, but would then end up only ever being a bit-part player at Anfield.

His best moment in a Liverpool shirt came in the club’s 2004/05 Champions League run, when he netted a crucial equaliser in a 3-1 group stage win over Olympiacos. Injury meant he would miss the final in Istanbul.

A loan spell at Blackburn Rovers in 2006 marked the start of a nomadic existence for the one-time France international, with stints in Spain, Russia, the US, Switzerland, Scotland and Thailand following before he called time on his playing career in 2019.