Cesc Fabregas: 'Arsenal gave me everything'

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has said that he will "forever be grateful" to Arsenal and Arsene Wenger for the role they played in shaping his career.

Fabregas moved to the Gunners in 2003 at the age of just 16 and quickly broke into the first team at Highbury, going on to be named captain at 21 and make more than 300 appearances for the club before returning to Barcelona in 2011.

Wenger turned down the option to re-sign the Spain international in 2014, with Fabregas instead moving to Chelsea, but he insists that he has only good things to say about his former club.

"Yes, forever. There's something that will never change. There's many things said about me, about Arsenal. I don't really care what people think about me any more. It's just about what I feel towards them," he told reporters.

"Arsenal will always be the team that believed in me the most. I was a young kid, 16 years old, playing for Barcelona. Arsene Wenger, especially, and Arsenal Football Club, gave me everything.

"Without them I would not be a World Cup winner, a European Championship winner. And I would not have experienced all of this that I'm doing in my life. I will always forever be grateful."

Chelsea will host Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday looking to move 12 points clear of their London rivals.