Former Arsenal star Robert Pires has become a father for the fourth time at the age of 53 after welcoming a baby girl with his partner Emmanuelle Lepkin.
The 1998 World Cup winner announced the news on social media on Friday, sharing that his daughter, Olivia Pires, was born on Halloween, October 31. The birth came two days after Pires celebrated his fifty-third birthday on October 29.
In a series of photographs shared online, the former French international appeared alongside Lepkin to welcome the newborn child, expressing his joy at welcoming his baby girl. Olivia is the couple's first child together.
Lepkin is not the mother of Pires's three older children. The former winger shares three children with his previous partner, former model Jessica Lemarie: daughter Naia, born in 2005, and sons Theo, born in 2008, and Alessio, born in 2011.
Tribute to son Theo at Metz
The baby announcement coincided with an important family milestone for his eldest son. On Saturday, November 7, Pires published a touching public tribute to Theo on the eve of the teenager turning 19.
Theo currently plays as a footballer for the reserve team of French club FC Metz, the same side where his father began his senior professional career more than three decades ago.
Writing to his son, Pires wished Theo a happy birthday, said that time moved quickly, and noted that he sometimes found it difficult to realise that his young boy had grown into a man. He added that while he might not always find it easy to express his feelings, he loved his son deeply and would always be there for him no matter what happened.
Career with Arsenal and France
Pires remains one of the most celebrated French footballers of his generation. He earned 79 senior caps for the French national team during an illustrious international career that spanned eight years.
He was part of the squad that lifted the FIFA World Cup on home soil in 1998, and he later helped France win the European Championship at Euro 2000, setting up the golden goal in the final against Italy.
At club level, Pires spent six seasons in the English Premier League with Arsenal between 2000 and 2006. He won two English league championships, lifting the trophy in 2002 and again in 2004.
During the 2003-04 season, Pires played an indispensable role in Arsene Wenger's unbeaten Invincibles squad, which completed the entire league campaign without a single loss. He also won two FA Cups during his celebrated spell in London.
Retirement and Metz testimonial
Pires began his professional journey with Metz in 1993, winning the French League Cup in 1996 before moving to Olympique de Marseille and subsequently to Arsenal.
He enjoyed an unusually long career on the pitch, continuing to play professionally until 2016. When he announced his retirement that year, he was the final active player from France's 1998 World Cup winning squad to hang up his boots.
On October 6, Pires returned to Metz to host his official testimonial match, celebrating his football journey in front of the club's supporters. With the arrival of baby Olivia, the former France international now steps into another chapter of family life.
