Patrick Vieira was best known as the leader of Arsenal, during the club's triumphant years in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Now the football development executive at Manchester City, the club he spent his final year as a player at City, Vieira is looking forward for some success in Europe after the oil-rich club garnered the English Premier League title in dramatic fashion last season.
Manchester City, despite their bulging squad of international-caliber players, were knocked out in the Champions League group stages last season, and Vieira hopes this year the story might be different.
"The club is working so hard to compete against the best clubs in Europe," Vieira told UEFA's official website. "Every single player loves playing in the Champions League and as a club it is a mark of being up there with the best.
"It is a fantastic experience for the club, not just on the pitch but off it as well. "It was exciting last year and when you have a good taste of something you want to go back again so it is really good to be involved again.
"When you have been really successful it gives you confidence and when you have the confidence you play with freedom and when you play with freedom that is when you play your best football."
Vieira believes City will have to be at their best if they are to compete in the highly-competitive Champions League. "In the Champions League if you make any mistake, tactically or technically, you get punished straight away," he observed. "It is played at such a high level, but I think the team is up for it."
City are planning to construct an 80-acre football academy, with the work set to begin soon, and Vieira is excited by the ambitious project. "I think something that is really clear is that since Sheikh Mansour took over is that he always wanted the club to be sustainable," Vieira told the club's official website.
"It is a long-term commitment from the football club and I am really excited about it because once you've seen the plans and images, you can't wait for the work to start.
"I think the club is creating something fantastic because when you are a footballer, you want to develop yourself and you are looking for the best facilities to achieve those aims.
"I think these facilities will give all the young players from the youth to the first team the chance to improve and to challenge themselves.
"When you bring a young talented player to your club, you want to give them the best chance to achieve their dream of playing for our first team, and I think the CFA (City Football Academy) facilities will give them what they will need to improve themselves.
"If you are a young boy from Africa and you come into a football club like City and you have the chance to train every day in the facilities like the ones we will build, it is something you dream about."
