Patrick Vieira was born thirty-five years ago in Dakar, Senegal, to parents from the Cape Verde Islands. Vieira was a grandson of a man who served in the French army, making him eligible to play for France. This was reflected in his style of play, for he was a midfield general. Vieira was spotted and signed by Cannes at the age of sixteen. “I know I’ll make a lot of money,” he said when he was eighteen. “But I don’t go to sleep thinking how I will spend it.” By the time he was nineteen, he had earned the respect of his team-mates and was named captain of the team – becoming one of the youngest captains ever in the French game.

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