Arsenal icon told the Queen he wanted to quit football and look after her corgis

Posted Saturday, February 19, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

Ex-Arsenal star Emmanuel Eboue recalled a hilarious moment during a squad visit to Buckingham Palace where he told Queen Elizabeth II he wanted to quit football and look after her dogs

Arsenal icon Emmanuel Eboue once stunned the Queen of England by telling her he wanted to quit football to look after her corgis.

Eboue, 38, represented the Gunners between 2004 and 2011 where he made a name for himself as a marauding right-back with a great sense of humour.

The retired Ivorian defender’s quick wit and colourful character have seen him go viral several times over the years, but one occasion where the Arsenal squad visited Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2007 still stands out.

Eboue, despite captain Thierry Henry’s warnings, left the Arsenal squad and royal family in tears of laughter by boldly asking to look after her majesty’s dogs.

Arsenal icon told the Queen he wanted to quit football and look after her corgis
Emmanuel Eboue was known for bringing good vibes to the Arsenal dressing room (Image: GETTY)

Eboue recalled the hilarious incident to The Telegraph, saying: "We went there and Thierry Henry said to me: 'Please, Emmanuel, this is Buckingham Palace, it's the Queen's house, don't do anything.' 'No problem,' I said. 'Don't worry'.

"So the Queen came in and went along shaking each player's hand. After she'd finished I saw all her corgis so I said, 'Ma'am, Ma'am'.

"She turned back and asked, 'How are you?'

Arsenal icon told the Queen he wanted to quit football and look after her corgis
The defender asked if he could retire and look after the Queen's corgis

"And I said, 'Ma'am, I am OK thank you but please, I don't want to be a footballer any more, I want to look after your dogs. I want to take them for walks, wash them, feed them. I want to be a dog carer’.

"The Queen, honestly, she was laughing. Prince Philip was laughing too. All the team were laughing."

Her Majesty’s own football club affiliation has been the subject of much debate over the years, with rumours suggesting she may be a Gooner herself.

Arsenal icon told the Queen he wanted to quit football and look after her corgis
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip reportedly saw the funny side of the Ivorian's request

But The Mirror claim she is actually a long-time West Ham fan, according to a Windsor Castle source who said they overheard a conversation.

They said: “She gave up her secret after overhearing one of her staff members saying he was a Millwall fan and was talking to another member of staff about the derby between West Ham and their arch rivals.

"They were quite shocked - after all, she’s not exactly your typical West Ham fan.”

While that may come as a blow to some supporters of the club, they can take pride at least in knowing Prince Harry remains a self-confessed fan.