"Plenty of strikers can score goals," he said, gesturing to the famous old stands casting shadows around us.
"But a lot have found it difficult wearing the number 9 shirt for The Arsenal."
I went to a public school founded by a post-reformation Archbishop of Canterbury whose religious observances - such as they were - were high-church Anglican, but it wasn't a C of E school as such.
And I loved assemblies. All the masters in gowns and, lots of hymn singing and the music master thumping away sweatily at his mighty organ - marvellous!
I still find myself singing C of E hymns. So much better than all those dreary Catholic ones.