What makes an Arsenal player a club legend?

[krackpot]

Actions speak louder than words

Well yes true, but you and I will probably never see him around, so will have to go with what he says, etc.

Going back was an obvious choice, the easy option ... Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of your debut for Arsenal; you were only 16. That must have been hard.

Actually, it was more difficult coming back to Barcelona at 24 than it was going to London at 16. Much more. People said I took the easy option: "Ah, he's going to play with Messi, he's going to win." But I think I took the difficult option: I have to work twice as hard to win a place. I've always been very independent, never afraid of challenges and I had nothing to lose when I first went to London: I was playing in Barcelona's youth system, in the Juvenil B, and although Barça valued me, Gerard [Piqué] and Leo [Messi] had been promoted to Juvenil A while I stayed in the Juvenil B. Arsenal offered me the chance to train with the first team, to learn English, experience another culture, another football. And I went so determined to enjoy it and learn from it that it was exciting rather than frightening. Arsenal are a fascinating club. They give you everything. It's a family, it really is. The fans support you unconditionally, too. I couldn't have gone to a better place.

Would you go back?

Arsenal is in my heart and always will be. I don't know if I'll have the opportunity to go back and play there one day, or maybe after football. It's a club that is always going to be there and will always open its doors to me. The club's like a family so even if it wasn't as a coach, I'm sure they'd give me the chance to play a role. Sol [Campbell] is there now. Arsenal help a lot with the formation of coaches. [Dennis] Bergkamp also went there two, three times a week when he was doing his coaching badges. In that sense it's a lovely club and there might be the chance to do something with them.

 

[Rex Stone]

really wish he manages to score 40 more goals

Dw he'll be here till the end of the season mate

 

[skip spence]

Undeniable Legends in the modern era for me are:
Thierry Henry
Dennis Bergkamp
Tony Adams

Those who come close, maybe I'd call them Icons:
David Seaman (wouldn't argue against him being called a legend though)
Ian Wright (See above)
Patrick Viera (in terms of impact absolute legend but as others have said, he left and made some questionable statements etc)
Robert Pires (amazing player who loved the club, maybe didn't play enough seasons)
Sol Campbell

 

[Rex Stone]

Undeniable Legends in the modern era for me are:
Thierry Henry
Dennis Bergkamp
Tony Adams

Those who come close, maybe I'd call them Icons:
David Seaman (wouldn't argue against him being called a legend though)
Ian Wright (See above)
Patrick Viera (in terms of impact absolute legend but as others have said, he left and made some questionable statements etc)
Robert Pires (amazing player who loved the club, maybe didn't play enough seasons)
Sol Campbell

Ian Wrght is a bigger legend than Henry... come on man.

I'd put Ray Parlour above Henry too

 

[Rain Dance]

Wenger, is a legend...

*captain obvious flies away*

 

[silent_shadow]

jarsenal_man is trolling ffs.

Clear from when he got here and immediately started praising Balague. Now Arteta is a legend? Come on.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

Imagine thinking Wrighty isn't a legend haha.

 

[skip spence]

Ian Wrght is a bigger legend than Henry... come on man.

I'd put Ray Parlour above Henry too

Won't argue against you but I'd like to know why you'd think so.

 

[bingobob]

arshavin is a bit of a legend to me

Cult hero for those 4 goals

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Wrighty would have scored in Paris vs Barca in 06 if he got two clear cut chances.

 

[Rex Stone]

Won't argue against you but I'd like to know why you'd think so.

Wrighty lived and breathed Arsenal and still does, never wanted to leave.

In my eyes a legend goes beyond what a player does on the pitch, that's important but it's not everything. Being a club legend means something more. It's putting the club above yourself, it's something emotional not logical.

Alan Shearer could have played for probably any club in the world when he left Blackburn but he went home to Newcastle and stayed through thick and thin.

It's a sacrifice to spend your whole career for a team that may never win a trophy, but in some ways it's worth it. The only people who'll understand your sacrifice is the fans, and that's the way it should be.

Henry was a great player, possibly our best but for me when I think legends I think of the likes of Charlie George, Herbert Chapman and Ian Wright. If you say one of those names you think Arsenal, they're tied to the history of the club.

 

[fabo]

Just need Gibbs to finish out his career here and he can get a statue too.

 

[albakos]

O'Leary who has most appearances for us *is* also a legend, but then his Leeds team of 1999 effectively knocked us out of title race.
So...

 

[fabo]

Anyone who doesn't think Vieira is a legend is an idiot too, or too young to have actually watched his career here.

 

[Rex Stone]

O'Leary who has most appearances for us *is* also a legend, but then his Leeds team of 1999 effectively knocked us out of title race.
So...

And they beat us at Highbury in 2003 to give Utd the title under him IIRC, or was that Venables? First of two Arsenal games that I've ever cried after, other being the CL quarter final in 08. Brutal stuff.

 

[terryhenry]

legends? these two come to mind:

 

[Trilly]

Longevity, Sucess and undeniable quality. Think you need two out of those three to be a club legend.

Actions after/if you leave plays a big part too. Cesc would have been a club legend without trophies if he didn't leave like like he did and then top it off by going to Chelsea.

 

[skip spence]

Wrighty lived and breathed Arsenal and still does, never wanted to leave.

In my eyes a legend goes beyond what a player does on the pitch, that's important but it's not everything. Being a club legend means something more. It's putting the club above yourself, it's something emotional not logical.

Alan Shearer could have played for probably any club in the world when he left Blackburn but he went home to Newcastle and stayed through thick and thin.

It's a sacrifice to spend your whole career for a team that may never win a trophy, but in some ways it's worth it. The only people who'll understand your sacrifice is the fans, and that's the way it should be.

Henry was a great player, possibly our best but for me when I think legends I think of the likes of Charlie George, Herbert Chapman and Ian Wright. If you say one of those names you think Arsenal, they're tied to the history of the club.

Well put mate.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Flamini is obviously a legend at this stage.

 

[scytheavatar]

Vieira was a legend for me because he was a once in a generation type player. He was an absolutely colossus for us during the best period of the club's history (98-05). The fact that he seemed to be looking for a move away from the club with a year or 2 after joining doesn't take anything away from how magnificent he was for us. The truth is if he had joined us in the trophyless post Emirates era he would have left within a few years and have JVP status on here.

Vieira is a legend of the game and one of the best midfielders ever. But it will be impossible for me to call him an Arsenal legend when he currently sees himself as a Man City man and is willing to be the lapdog of the arabs.