He spent the early part of his career with Arsenal, starred for Borussia Dortmund as well as Hamburg in Germany, has played in the Champions League and the World Cup so the last thing Guy Demel wants on his CV is to be part of a team that has been relegated.
The 34-year-old former Ivory Coast international left West Ham at the end of last season and has been waiting patiently for a new club ever since, keeping himself fit by training back home in the south of France.
When Dundee United boss Mixu Paatelainen contacted him, he had no hesitation in accepting his offer to join the club despite the fact the Tangerines are currently bottom of the Premiership, six points adrift of Motherwell.
And Demel insists he can help lead the team back out of danger and up the table.
He said: “The move came through my agent. He spoke to the manager and told me about the club.
“The manager then called me and I spoke with him. He convinced me to join the club.
“I have never been relegated before. So I don’t want to start now.
“This is a great challenge it’s not easy. But now that I’m 34, I think it’s something that I want to experience, to be in the team where you have to work hard and know what the manager expects from me.
“I want to be one to help lead the team, to come out of this situation.
“That was part of the attraction of coming here.”
He added: “I have been back home training in the south of France.
“I was there training by myself with a trainer.
“Sometimes, I was training with my home-team clubs but you need matches to get fit for the top level.
“I had a few offers since leaving West Ham but some of them I didn’t want to take for personal reasons others were really interesting for me.
“It is great just to come to the training ground every day and to be with my team-mates.
“As a footballer, this is where you want to be.
“My first impressions are that the dressing-room is really good.
“My team-mates are fine and the training facilities are great. We’ve got everything here to work.
“We have the stadium, the history of the club going for us so it is all positive.”
Demel has played in a number of positions including at right-back for West Ham latterly.
While he is happy to turn out anywhere for United, he primarily sees himself as a central midfielder.
Demel said: “I played that position for Borussia Dortmund in a few Champions League games.
“I played that same position at Hamburg for four years when I had a player like Nigel De Jong as my back-up.
“So I am used to that position.”
When asked if he could add a touch of steel to United, he said: “Of course, I can bring that. You also need to get used to a position again.
“I haven’t played any matches since March.
“But this is the position (central midfield) where I want to play.
“I think it would be easier for me to get back in my stride playing in that position.”
Demel also welcomed the addition of another new player with lots of experience, former Liverpool striker Florent Sinama Pongolle, who signed for the club yesterday.
He said: “I saw him play a few games for Liverpool and he is a good player with a lot of qualities.
“I won’t be able to do it all by myself so it’s good that Florent has signed as well and maybe some others will arrive.
“It’s all about giving us positive energy in the dressing-room.
“The boys are a bit down which is normal. It happens to big clubs.
“But when you bring in fresh players, with a will-to-win, then it can only help bring things up.
“You can’t take it easy after any training session.
“It’s a 24-hour job and the boys have to understand that with the situation we’re in.”