Franck Ribery Thankful for Soccer Career, Thinks it Helped Him Avoid Poverty

With the holiday season in full bloom, Franck Ribery has expressed gratitude for his soccer career.

The Frenchman revealed that he would probably be poor and unemployed if not for his current profession.

"I come from the ghetto, from nothing. I have been through it all," Ribery said, according to Goal.com. "Where I come from, people are very poor and I would have been poor as well now if it weren't for football. And I would probably be unemployed as well, like so many other people in the area.

"Whenever I go shopping, I always remind myself of how good things are now. You can't forget your past," he added. "It only makes you stronger when you have been through difficult situations and are now successful here at Bayern. It has turned me into a fighter. These difficult moments have formed my character."

Ribery grew up in Boulogne-sur-Mer before entering into the Lille Academy and eventually getting a chance at a professional career.

He has since blossomed into one of the great French players and is currently the face of French soccer. He is having a tremendous year thanks to a great run with his club Bayern Munich. Ribery was part of the treble winners in 2013 and was subsequently short-listed for the 2013 Ballon d'Or alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo; he also won the 2013 UEFA Player of the Year award. The Frenchman has shown no signs of slowing down this season and is a major part of Munich's rise back to the top of the Bundesliga standings and its prominence in the Champions League this season.