Alex Song: Ex-Arsenal midfielder gifts wife new apartment block on her birthday

• Alex Song gifted his wife a new apartment on her birthday
• Ex-Arsenal star said it was in memory of the couple’s small house in London
• Cameroon midfielder captained Djibouti side Arta Solar to last two league titles

WHAT HAPPENED? Song, who made over 200 appearances for Arsenal from 2005-2012, chose his wife’s special day to remember his humble beginnings with the North London side, gifting her the new apartment block.

The property is part of his ‘Nokay 17 Residences’ company based in Yaounde, but he made his wife believe that its construction was just part of his venture before revealing his true intentions on her birthday.

WHAT DID SONG SAY? “I am so proud of the journey we have travelled together. Thank God it was not easy for me to do this project without you knowing who is the instigator. I had to make you understand that this building located in the middle of the golf [club] just 50m from the US Embassy in Yaounde is in the continuation of NOKAY17, and I knew you could never doubt it, that in fact this building is for you.”

“It was my dream to offer you this gift olibooboooooo apartments in memory of our small apartment in London, in a building where it was not obvious to us, here's how I was able to realise this dream today, and I am proud of it.”

“You are everything to me, MY ONLY ONE LOVE FOR LIFE. Make this building what you want, you have no account to report to anyone, neither me nor your children, eat, spend, run, jump, it's up to you, make yourself happy, make this what you want.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The 35-year-old, who currently captains Djibouti side AS Arta Solar, previously admitted to being a ‘waster’, saying he played at Arsenal for eight years earning a decent wage but had nothing in four years when people thought he was a millionaire.

He revealed in a 2021 interview that his £15 million transfer to Barcelona in 2012 was motivated by money since he wanted to make up for lost time in order to give his family a comfortable life in future.

Song, who joined Arta Solar in 2020 and led them to the last two titles, has since rebuilt his life and now has several investments back home including the construction company, a fashion business and an international school.

DID YOU KNOW? Song has a few controversies from the past and was sent off for punching Mario Mandzukic during Cameroon’s group-stage defeat to Croatia at the 2014 World Cup. He was sacked by Swiss side FC Sion six years later, for refusing to take a pay cut at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

WHAT NEXT FOR SONG? The midfielder, capped 49 times for Cameroon, will be hoping to lead Arta Solar to a third straight top-flight title, especially after exiting the Caf Champions League at the preliminary round, following a 2-1 aggregate loss to Al Merreikh of Sudan this month.