Despite only being at Arsenal five minutes, Gabriel revealed recently that he was emotional during our 4-0 win against Aston Villa in the FA Cup Final.

The centre back was honoured to set foot on Wembley’s famous pitch and even said that the trophy wasn’t just huge for him but for his entire family.

“It is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life, winning my first trophy with Arsenal, and the most important of my career,” the defender said.

“I spent a whole week just thinking about this game, and the fact that it was at Wembley, a stadium that everyone around the world knows. The thought of setting foot on such a legendary pitch, in this magnificent stadium, was amazing.”

He added, “I was lucky enough to play in the semi-final and the final was very emotional for me too.”

It’s hard not to love Gabriel. Even without Costa-gate endearing him to Gooners everywhere, the Brazilian has a huge heart and, despite the odd hiccup, is generally one of our more solid players. The man seems genuinely thrilled to be part of our football club and I don’t doubt that he would give everything for our team.

The fact that the FA Cup means so much to our men is comforting as so often, especially with foreign players, it’s easy to shrug off its importance. The British players know what an institution the cup is so it’s crucial that the others do too.

Having someone with Gabriel’s heart at the club is crucial because it shows just how much it matters. It shows the other players what a privilege it is and should prevent them from ever taking it for granted.