Keown admits that can be a huge problem after experiencing the same issue himself when Arsenal signed another Samba star in 1999.
Full back Sylvinho didn’t speak a word of the lingo when he arrived at the Emirates and struggled badly at first before going on to be a big success.
Keown, who won seven major trophies with the Gunners, said: “That’s a problem. When Sylvinho first came in the only word he could say was ‘OK’.
“I was telling him when to drop off and when to get tight, and all I got was ‘OK’. I thought he understood it. But I didn’t realise it was the only word in his vocabulary!
“It caused problems because I was shouting at him to come out and he’d drop back and play everyone onside.”
“There are some key words Gabriel needs to pick up. Lots of foreign players come here and the speed with which they pick it up is phenomenal.
“Thierry Henry couldn’t speak any English when he came here. Within a week he was having a full conversation. I couldn’t imagine myself in that situation trying to learn French.
“Other players are different. They don’t understand much, but they understand football and the instructions you give them.”
