David Dein based his life motto on turtles.

The former Arsenal vice-chairman visited Biddenham School on Friday and told the students that he based his life motto on turtles: if you don’t stick your neck out, you won’t get anywhere.

That’s according to Bedford Today, who report that the students were inspired by the talk and were quoting the “turtle motto” as a lasting memory.

Dein worked at Arsenal between 1983 and 2007 and was responsible for much of Arsenal’s success during that period.

Most notably, he convinced Arsene Wenger to join the club and helped secure a number of signings for him.

Many argue that Arsenal’s transfer business has never been the same since Dein’s acrimonious departure from the club in 2007.

Dein was ousted from the Arsenal board after “irreconcilable differences”, where it was believed he was trying to secure external investment to help Arsenal compete with Chelsea and Manchester United.

This was during a period where Arsenal had invested heavily in the Emirates Stadium and couldn’t compete in the transfer market

Not long after, he sold his shares to Alisher Usmanov, who would remain on the outside as the rest of the board sold to Stan Kroenke, the man Dein wanted to takeover Arsenal in the first place.