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Arsenal given motivational talk by free-running French actor who appeared in a Madonna video in bid for season run-in boost

Sebastien Foucan visited the players at Arsenal's training ground

Simon Rice
Thursday 19 February 2015 18:53 GMT
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Arsenal received a motivational talk this week from French actor and the "founder of freerunning" Sebastien Foucan.

With the season reaching that critical point (usually the bit where Arsenal exit most competitions) it seems Arsene Wenger wanted to try something different so sanctioned the talk from Foucan.

The Gunners play Crystal Palace this weekend and then have the first-leg of their Champions League Round of 16 meeting with Monaco up after that. They also have a daunting trip to Old Trafford to play Manchester United in the FA Cup on the horizon.

Foucan, who appeared alongside Daniel Craig in the James Bond film Casino Royale and has also featured in the music video for Madonna single Jump, is known for his philosophical approach. This is how he describes his core outlook: "Follow your way; Always practise; Respect others in their practise; Be an inspiration for others; Be positive and look for positive environments; Respect your environment; Feel free to try other disciplines; Don't take it too seriously; The journey is more important than the goal; There is no good or bad, right or wrong but what is important is what you learn from experiences through practise; Freerunning is not an elite discipline, but for the people who love and continue to move; Channel your energy in a good way, a way to be better."

It seemed to sink in with at least one of the players. Young defender Hector Bellerin tweeted after the talk: "Work in silence and let your success make the noise."

Arsenal's match against Crystal Palace is on Saturday.

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