VILLARREAL, Dec 29 (SW) – Former Arsenal and French international midfielder Robert Pires has appealed to Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger to allow him to return to the club before he retires.

The thirty three year player has been out this entire season with a serious knee injury.

He has expressed a willingness, on previous occasions, to leave the Spanish club.

He said that he was prepared to stay at the club until the end of the 2006/7 season before leaving the club.

Pires also believes that there is far less pressure to do well at Villarreal.