FIFA.com: What are your childhood memories of the FIFA World Cup?
Patrick Vieira: I was about eight or nine I think, and I'd just left Senegal for France. We would organise these mini tournaments with my friends or between neighbourhoods. It was like our own little World Cup, with everyone choosing their own teams. We were France or Brazil most of the time.

Who did you idolise when you were younger?
Luis Fernandez, because he formed part of the 'magic square' (the gifted French midfield foursome of Fernandez, Michel Platini, Alain Giresse, Jean Tigana). As I played in the same position, I loved his aggressiveness, the way he gave everything on the pitch, and his temperament. I identified with him a little. Then, when I was older, Frank Rijkaard at Ajax Amsterdam was a player who made me dream.

You made the squad in 1998. How happy were you about that?
I was very surprised, because I had the feeling I was one of the players who'd be going home after the training camp. I was elated, tremendously satisfied. As soon as I was told I was in the squad I said to myself that I'd try my very best to play as many games as possible. I was young and there were some great players in my position, like Emmanuel Petit, Didier Deschamps and Christian Karembeu.

Your first game - and one of the matches you enjoyed most minutes in - was against Denmark. What do you remember about it?
There wasn't that much at stake because we'd won our first two group games. The first-choice players were rested and that gave us replacements a chance to get a game. It wasn't easy, but I like looking back on that match because I played the whole 90 minutes and enjoyed myself a lot.

You also made an impression in the Final in 1998. It was your pass that set up the third and final goal?
Yes, that's right, and I have good memories of that game because of that. Marcel Desailly had just been sent off and the coach brought me on to replace Youri Djorkaeff. It all happened so quickly that it didn't even cross my mind I was about to be taking part in the World Cup Final against Brazil. Not having time to think about it was no doubt the reason why I did well after coming on. Once the match was over, after Manu [Emmanuel Petit] had scored the last goal and I was in the changing rooms, it was only then that I realised I'd just played 20 minutes in a World Cup Final and that I'd made a decisive pass in the last minute. It was an extraordinary moment for me.

Can you talk us through it?
Yes. Brazil had a corner and the ball broke to Christophe Dugarry, who broke forward. I went with him, he played the ball to me and I put Manu through. He hit a cross-shot and it went in off the post. It was crazy. That goal wrapped things up and I was ecstatic at having played my part in it. Thanks to the season we'd had together at Arsenal, where we'd just won the double, Manu and I had a high regard for each other. It was a wonderful way to round the season off.

What does winning a match like that do for the motivation of young players like Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet or yourself?
We'd reached the top in a pretty short space of time. But to stay there, you have to be tough mentally. That's what makes the difference. We were winners, as simple as that, and the more you win, the more you want to win.

When you look back on 2002 where do you think France went wrong?
We made a bad start. Of course, the opening game against Senegal was a disaster but, above all, the preparation was wrong. We had a very strong, competitive side that could have won the World Cup. But that just goes to show you that quality alone is not enough. You have to work and keep your feet on the ground. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do that.

That Senegal game in 2002 must have been a strange one for you because it was your native country. What were your thoughts when you went out on the pitch?
I was very much at ease and proud to be playing that day. I looked upon it as a gift of some sort, a fabulous occasion. Naturally, I was bitterly disappointed we lost because that would have got going in the competition. But putting the result to one side, it was an extraordinary day, which I'll never forget.

I have something here that belongs to you (hands over the Trophy).
It's heavy... It looks fantastic!

Are you proud to think you will forever be associated with it?
Yes, even more so because it's a childhood dream. As kids, we all watched great players lift the World Cup, so to be able to tell ourselves we were now part of that group was a dream come true, even if it was hard for us to believe. That's why I'm proud of what I've managed to achieve in football.