I walked away from £20m Arsenal deal as I wasn't happy - and it was the right call

Ex-Arsenal and Chelsea forward Willian has disclosed his intentions to become a football agent after witnessing how players can 'destroy' their careers.

The 35-year-old aims to guide young players away from making costly errors in football. The Brazilian, currently a free agent, suffered a troublesome period at Arsenal - which concluded with his contract being terminated three years ago.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he cautioned: "You can kill your career, your life, if you don't have good people who always say the truth. Young players need to be careful...

READ MORE: Arsenal confirm decision after Thierry Henry recommendation as deadline day deal agreed

READ MORE: Arsenal agree important transfer deadline day move as Andrea Berta continues overhaul

"In football it can come easy; money, everything you want, everyone wants to be your friend.

"I'm always worrying about what goes on outside the pitch. Maybe you have 15 years to build your life, to invest well your money and then, maybe in five minutes, you can destroy it."

Following his departure from Chelsea in 2020, Willian penned a lucrative three-year contract with Arsenal, but he remained for just 12 months, forfeiting a reported £20million in wages during the process. He featured 37 times for the Gunners across all competitions.

Willian added: "When I left Arsenal everyone knows it was not good.

"It was a difficult year for me. I decided to leave and, at that time, I still had two more years contract and I just said to them 'listen, let's break the contract. It has not worked the way we wanted'."

Despite being dubbed 'crazy' for forfeiting his wages, Willian maintains that he was never driven by financial gain. He explained: "I don't think about money. I know money is important, for sure. But it's not the first thing in my life. For me, God first. Then my family, then football. Then the other things. But I wasn't happy - so that's why I decided to leave the club."