The people who made Pepe's dreams come true

Nicolas Pepe says he owes his career to the sacrifices that his parents made.

The Ivory Coast international became our record signing this week when he completed his move from Lille, and it represents a huge step in a footballing life that began with a young Pepe kicking a ball around on a street in Mantes-la-Jolie.

It's been quite a journey for the 24-year-old and he doesn't think he would have made it without his guiding lights at home.

"My parents have always been there for me," he told Arsenal.com. "They were there during the toughest times and the best times and they are still here right now.

"They sacrificed everything, absolutely everything. My father stopped working, my mother stopped…