Five failed Arsenal ‘golden boys’

Jermaine PENNANT– Pennant signed for Arsenal in January 1999 to much fanfare. He had just made his debut for Notts County in the F.A. Cup 3^rd round, just shy of his 16^th birthday. The Gunners paid a cool £2m for his signature, a record for a trainee. Pennant was regarded as Arsenal and England’s next great right-wing hope. He made his Arsenal debut aged 16-years and 319 days in a League Cup tie against Middlesbrough that November.

However, he waited almost three more years for his league debut. Despite a hat-trick against Southampton in May 2003, Pennant just did not develop as expected, with rumours of a sluggish attitude to training. After a farcical drink driving charge, in which he falsely identified himself as team-mate and best friend Ashley Cole to an arresting officer, he was packed off on loan to Birmingham City. He has since played for Liverpool, Portsmouth, Real Zaragoza, Stoke City, Wolverhampton Wanders and he’s currently plying his trade at Wigan Athletic.