"This contract will almost certainly be the last one I ever sign which means I'll be finishing my career here at Arsenal. I'm delighted with this because I feel a really strong bond with the club now – I almost consider myself an Arsenal fan. I spent 12 years with Ajax and the bond I feel with Arsenal is the same as I had with my old club.

"It's always been my intention to stay. I've been here for nearly six years now and had some great times. The fans and just the everyday folk around the club have helped convince me to stay. Some of the sentiments that people have offered me have made me quite emotional. I don’t mean to sound melodramatic, but when people say that I'm really important and valued here it’s quite touching.

"My family is settled in England, but that isn't why I decided to stay. If I wanted to move, a solution would be found to help my family. There are special international schools and, in any case, my kids are so young they’d have been able to cope with a change of country. No, I've stayed for the right reasons – because I love playing for Arsenal Football Club.

"In case you've ever wondered, football contracts are about seven pages long and you have to sign four copies. You keep one, the Premier League gets one and then the club and your agent each get a copy. It feels like an autograph-signing session! I signed it today at the training centre and, as I write this, only my family knows that it's happened. A few of the players noticed that my agent and my brother were at the training centre, so they may have guessed what was going on. It's all quite exciting, really, so come back soon and I’ll tell you more."