Samir Nasri has admitted he could have made more of his career.

The former Arsenal midfielder has been in reflective mood recently, perhaps as a result of playing for Antalyaspor.

Speaking to Canal+ (via the S*n), Nasri recounted a story where nobody visited him while he was in hospital with meningitis during his final year at Marseille, and how that showed him the true side of people.

“Football is a hypocrite’s world. But I can look at myself in the mirror. I know that I remain dignified, that I remained myself,” Nasri said.

“Some may say that I am arrogant or that I have my pride, but I am frank. If you like me, that’s alright, if you do not like me that’s alright too.

“But at least you know what to take from it. I ask the same thing from people, because I do not like the superego part of football.”

“I used to be like that, and thought that everything was all perfect, when it is not. I came out disappointed.

“During my last year at Marseille, I was in the hospital for 12 days with meningitis, and I saw the actual side of people.

“I saw those who were there for me when everything was going well, when I was Marseille’s little prince, when I had played the season where I became an international.

“People were behind me then, but when I was sick for 12 days, with meningitis about to die, no one was there.

“I noticed how things really were.”

Nasri has often been accused of having questionable behaviour off the pitch, and has admitted that his choice of lifestyle has prevented him from having a better career.

His poor behaviour saw him fall out with France manager Didier Deschamps and prompted him into international retirement at just the age of 27.

“Do I regret anything with the French national team; yes and no,” he said.

“Yes, because with my talent I could have achieved a lot more. The same could be said about my career in general.

“Could I have done better? Probably, yes. Actually, most certainly, because at certain times in my career I was not as professional as I could have been.

“Not on the pitch or in training, I was always professional there. But maybe my lifestyle choices were not as perfect as they could have been.

“Maybe then, my performances would have allowed me to reach the next level, because the talent, I most definitely had it.”

Nasri joined Arsenal in 2008 and was known as one of the France’s most promising talents.

He played 125 times for Arsenal, scoring 27 goals and looking ready to explode into a top quality player.

However, he opted to take his talents to Manchester City, and hasn’t been forgiven by the Arsenal supporters since.

He won two Premier League titles with City, but found himself out of favour and ended up at Sevilla on loan before moving to Turkey last summer.