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Arsenal are a club with a rich, glittering history, which means they have had some simply incredible players.
Although the club might not be what it once was, there are still so many influential players to have played for Arsenal. There are a number of reasons in which these players have affected the club - ranging from being the club’s leading goalscorer, being the club’s greatest captain, or being an important signing at a time when the club was struggling, to being an influential player in a club’s history.
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On that note, here is a look at five of the most influential players in Arsenal’s history.
5) George Graham
George Graham not only played for Arsenal and won trophies, but did a fantastic job as a manager too. His time as a player was a six-year span from 1966-1972, where he played 227 league games. As a forward, not a striker, his 60 league goals for the club were quite impressive.
In his first two seasons, before John Radford would move into the centre-forward position, Graham occupied that position and was the top scorer for those first two seasons. He then dropped back to inside forward, but his contribution didn’t end there.
He played a crucial role in Arsenal’s double-winning season of 1970-71 as a forward. However, the most influential part of him being an Arsenal player was that it set up for him to become the manager of the club in the future. And that is where he would put Arsenal top of the tree in England, and guide them to two league titles, two league cups, an FA Cup and a UEFA Cup Winners Cup.
He was an incredible manager. He turned Arsenal’s fortunes around with the club not having won a trophy for seven years. Not many play and manage the same club, so both of his times at the club must come into consideration.
Although he did go on to manage Tottenham, his influence at Arsenal on a whole is undeniable. He will forever live on in the memory of Arsenal fans.
#4 Pat Rice
Spending 44 years in total at the club, not many people have had such an influence at Arsenal like Northern Irishman Pat Rice.
He joined Arsenal as an apprentice in 1964, before eventually becoming a professional in 1966 and making his debut for the Gunners a year later. Although he got his debut at just 18 years of age, it would take three seasons before he became the first choice right-back, and what a season it was.
In that season, the Gunners did the double, winning the First Division and the FA Cup, and it was the beginning of 10 years where Rice would be first choice right-back.
Unfortunately for Rice, his medals did not represent his impact as a player at Arsenal, as he claimed just one more FA Cup win. However, he did win the Arsenal Player of the Year award in 1972 and is only one of only three Arsenal players to play in five FA Cup finals.
But like George Graham, his contribution to the club didn’t end at being an Arsenal player, as he returned as a youth team coach before he eventually became assistant to Wenger.
As an assistant, Rice saw his beloved Arsenal win three Premier League trophies and three FA Cups, all of which he had a helping hand in, being the Frenchman’s calming influence on the sideline for every game.
#3 Dennis Bergkamp
Arguably the best player to have ever played for Arsenal was Dennis Bergkamp. Henry may hold the record for goals in Arsenal’s history, but Bergkamp’s ability was off the scale.
Playing mostly as a second striker, where he plays best, he was a goalscorer and a creator. He would play the finest, most delicate through balls to set up his teammates, who were always in awe of his ability. In addition to that, he was also able to score some mesmerising goals, such as the turn and finish against Newcastle.
He may not have scored as many goals for Arsenal as people think, but the goals he did score were always crucial and seemingly the most difficult. Not only that, goals scored do not make a difference here, Bergkamp’s difference was seen every time he stepped foot on the pitch for the Gunners.
Many ex-Arsenal players, the likes of Ian Wright, Ray Parlour, and others always praise Bergkamp to the heavens.
The Dutchman spent 11 years at Arsenal and even retired with the Gunners, paying an emotional farewell when the club left Highbury and moved to the Emirates, arguably the most fitting way to leave the club.
#2 Tony Adams
Coming through Arsenal’s youth team and spending every second of his career with the Gunners, Tony Adams is what you would call ‘Mr. Arsenal’.
The English centre-back first made his debut at just 17 years of age. Just four years on from his debut, in 1988 he was named captain by manager George Graham, and things would remain that way for the next 14 years until he retired. He was a wonderful captain for the Gunners, and probably the best in the club’s history.
He was a centre-back who wasn’t very quick, or very good with the ball at his feet for the most part of his career, but he was well organised and was superb positionally. He read the game very brilliantly and it meant that his lack of pace did not affect him in the slightest.
He won four league titles, three of those being Premier Leagues, three FA Cups, two League Cups and a European Cup Winners Cup. With that, he also won some individual accolades including PFA Young Player of the Year, First Divison/Premier League Team of the Year on four occasions, as well as being inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.
Those accolades alone represent how fantastic the Englishman was, and how much of an influence he had on Arsenal.
#1 Thierry Henry
Many say Thierry Henry is the best player to have ever played in the Premier League, and it’s hard to argue otherwise.
Henry was tall, extremely fast, technically better than anyone in the Premier League and a great finisher. He was able to combine them all together to become the perfect striker, which illustrates why he scored so many goals.
The Frenchman was even extremely unfortunate not to win the Ballon d’Or in 2003 when he finished second. To add to that, he finished second to Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho for the World Player of the Year award in 2003 and 2004 respectively.
He was a natural born goalscorer. His first two seasons with the Gunners were seen as years where he was ‘fitting in’, but even then the Frenchman scored 17 goals in each season. From then on he kicked on even further and scored 24, 24, 30, 25, and 27 goals in the next five seasons.
His goals came from all different directions; they were unstoppable for goalkeepers, and defenders just could not handle him. Altogether, they led to him being Arsenal’s leading goalscorer in both the Premier League and all competitions.
