"...I turned down the offer from the Japanese club. They were fantastic to me and gave me a great welcome when I spoke with them but I was concerned about a few things."

"They wanted me to sign and get involved very, very quickly.... I was worried that it would take me a while to settle down into Japan as a country."

"Therefore, it might have been that my performances weren't too good for a while and I might not have done myself justice on the pitch."

So what next for the Grimster? On his official website, Gilles says he's looking at options in France and elsewhere in Europe. Can't help wondering if that includes any other English clubs, but it's hard to imagine him staying in this country if not at Arsenal.