Tribute to Vieira

It was somehow fitting that Patrick Vieira should choose Bastille Day to announce his retirement from the game.

A battling midfield warrior, the fearsome Frenchman has long been one of the most intimidating players in the Premier League, writes Graham Hiley.At the age of 35, he has now hung up his boots at the end of a glittering playing career to take up a new post as football development executive at Manchester City.Working with the club's youth, community and commercial departments will be a far cry from the days when his marauding runs and intense competitive spirit would send shivers of fear through even the most hardened opponents.His strength and athleticism allied with a ferocious determination, endless stamina and unyielding will-to-win, epitomised the play of this battle-hardened campaigner.Born in Senegal, he grew up in France and began his playing career with Cannes, making his debut at 17 and earning the captaincy just two years later.He moved to AC Milan but failed to break into the side, making just two first-team appearances.However he caught the eye of a certain Arsene Wenger who, in 1996, reportedly insisted on Arsenal agreeing to sign Vieira before he would take up position of manager.At first glance they seemed unlikely bedfellows - Wenger a cultured student of the game and Vieira an aggressive artisan.But they both possessed the same burning desire to be winners and the fee of £3.5m was soon seen as a bargain.Vieira's hard running, tough tackling and range of passing quickly established him as a key performer for the Gunners, playing a vital role in their rise to rival Manchester United at the top of the English game.Occasionally his competitive nature would over-stretch the boundaries, his nine years at Arsenal bringing eight red cards - the joint highest in Premier League history, level with Richard Dunne and Duncan Ferguson.But the negatives were far outweighed by the positives, his leadership spurring the north London side to new heights.With Vieira in the engineroom, they won three Premier League titles and the Arsenal "Invincibles" remained unbeaten throughout the historic 2003/04 campaign.Vieira also picked up four FA Cup winners medals and was part of the French World Cup winning squad in 1998 as well as being a key member of the victorious team in Euro 2000.After making 279 Premier League appearances for the Gunners and scoring 28 goals, Vieira departed for Juventus in July 2005.He helped them to the Serie A title but the club were stripped of the honour and relegated to Serie B with a deduction of 17 points following match-fixing allegations. Vieira moved to Inter Milan where he played under Roberto Mancini.He won three more Serie A titles but injuries meant he struggled to hold down a regular first-team place.He linked up with Mancini once more at Manchester City in January 2010 and although his best playing days were behind him, he continued to prove an important figure around the club.His powerful presence in the dressing room helped to instil the winning mentality to lift City to the next level with a third-place finish to reach the Champions League for the first time.He also helped the club end their 35-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup. Vieira was given a late run as a substitute as a fitting reward for his vast contribution both to City's progress and to the English game.