Cesc Fabregas spoke French more than English at Arsenal, he says © Getty Images Enlarge

Cesc Fabregas has labelled Arsenal "more a French than an English side", claiming he had to learn French just to get by at the club.

Fabregas revealed that many of Arsene Wenger's French speaking squad do not even bother to speak English to one another, preferring to remain in their native tongue.

The former Gunners captain, who left Arsenal to join Barcelona in 2011, excelled during his time in England but only after he made the commitment of adding English and French to his vocabulary.

"To speak English is important nowadays," Fabregas told So Foot. "I also learnt French. I had no choice.

"Arsenal are more a French than an English side in the sense that Frenchmen and African [from French speaking countries] do not speak English between them.

"To learn French was the only way for me to understand what was said and also to reply to those who mocked me."

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