Mevlut Erding: 'A magnificent time of my life'

Mevlüt, what does Paris Saint-Germain represent for you?
"Paris Saint-Germain is the club I supported as a kid and the club I support still to this day. I love this club. To visit everyone here in Istanbul is a great pleasure. I dreamed about Paris Saint-Germain when I was little and I got the chance to play for the club. When I signed for Paris, several clubs wanted to sign me, but for me, it was only ever going to be Paris Saint-Germain, the shirt, the colours. It was an easy choice. Today it's a huge club and I'm very proud."

What is you best memory of Paris Saint-Germain?
"I have great memories of the matches against Marseille at the Parc des Princes. They were must win matches. We could feel the pressure of the supporters. It was so important for them. I remember scoring in a 2-1 win. I knew that day that I was going to score. I was so focused. I even had a t-shirt under my jersey that read: Paris est magique. And I celebrated with the fans! But every match at the Parc des Princes was special for me. The Parc is a special stadium for a special club. It was a magnificent time of me life." 

Let's jump forward to tomorrow night where Paris play Galatasaray... you played them this weekend with Fenerbahçe (0-0). What do you think of their team?
"It's a big Turkish club... but not as big as Fenerbahçe! Turkish football has evolved a lot and is really a great league now, with new stadia everywhere. It has developped a lot to help the club's return to the forefront of Europe. I think it will be a great match because both sides will try to win. They have some great players, but I think Paris Saint-Germain are a cut above. Galatasaray have a reputation for having a great home atmosphere. But I think Paris Saint-Germain will rise above that. Paris has great players, in the starting XI and on the bench. They will not be intimidated by the atmopshere."