There is an argument to be made that Sokratis has been one of the best signings in the Premier League this season and the Arsenal man has been speaking about how he became a defender.

Like most of the best players in his position, Sokratis loves keeping the ball out of the net more than he loves to see it going in at the other end.

In an interview with Arsenal Player, the Greek defender explained what he loves about the role so much.

“Of course whoever scores the goal takes all the glory, but for people who understand about football, they know that the defence wins the league,” he said. “If you have a good defence, you can do good things.

Of course, I don’t like this. I prefer defending and not conceding goals

“It was like that for Greece at the 2004 Euros. If you see afterwards in 2014, Greece had a very good defence. We had one style like Italian teams. Of course the mentality changed a little bit because when you win something very important like 2004, everyone afterwards looks for this.

“I think that football in the next few years will be difficult for the defenders now,” Sokratis added. “But for me, it’s OK because before football changes a lot, I will finish football! At my age, and for the next five years, I hope that football stays the same and that the rules don’t change so that I can still play.

“If you see all the teams and the coaches now, the new generation look for defenders who can do more than defence. They like to play like a No 6 or a No 10. Of course it’s a style of play but I think that if the football is going forward like this, the managers will need players who can play that style of football.

“But then if that’s the case, the game will finish with three or four goals each time. This is good for the people who are watching the game. Of course, I don’t like this. I prefer defending and not conceding goals. We’ll see. Football is going forward.”