Salut!

For the first time in Premiership history, the FA Cup final is being staged before the season has finished. Therefore all the clubs apart from Arsenal and Liverpool have a weekend off.

I have been spending my week with my family back home in the south of France. I had been hoping to attend the Football Writers' Association annual Footballer of the Year awards dinner in London on Thursday night, but unfortunately I had to stay in France to attend to some family matters, following the recent death of my grandfather.

I wish to congratulate Teddy Sherringham on winning the award this year. This is the trophy I won myself in 1999, so I know what a great feeling it is to receive such a prestigious accolade. Like me, Teddy also won the PFA award, and he is one of those players who seems to improve with age.

I am back home now and shall be glued to the television on Saturday to watch the FA Cup final. I shall be cheering on Arsenal because of my fellow-Frenchmen Patrick Vieira, Sylvan Wiltord, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Giles Grimandi. So good luck you Gunners, I hope you lift the trophy!

We have one match left in the league this season, and Aston Villa still have hopes of clinching a UEFA Cup spot. If we are to have any chance of achieving that, we simply must win at Newcastle next Saturday. That will be another emotional occasion, as I shall be returning to a former club - my first team in English football.

So come back next week and I'll tell you my thoughts as I prepare to return to St James' Park.

A bientôt

David Ginola.

Please note that this news section is updated every Friday afternoon

Email David by clicking here