Marc Overmars today announced his retirement from professional football, unable to continue due to a recurring knee injury.
“My future as a footballer ends today. My knee has caused me lots of problems and I can no longer continue to play at the level that I want.”
Marc was a true Arsenal great, a new generation of flying winger at the club of the type of Anders Limpar who both scored and assisted.
Signed by Wenger in the summer of 1997, the Boss’ long term project arrived at Highbury and opened his account early in the season with a trademark burst through the centre of the Southampton defence, a cut inside and a precise finish inside the near post at the league game at The Dell. We would become used to this sort of thing.
Throughout the season, Marc time and time again produced, especially when it mattered. An awesome virtuoso performance at Old Trafford single handedly won us the game and practically handed us the title with a late, low finish under Red Nose in goal. They couldn’t handle him. On his day, nobody really could.
Perhaps the pinnacle of his Arsenal career was a few months later at Wembley when Marc raced onto Manu Petit’s incredible chipped through pass and showed selfless bravery to go straight into Shay Given and make the crucial first contact on a bouncing ball to put us one up in the Cup Final and set us well on our way to the double. Just weeks before he had destroyed Everton with two trademark solo goals to secure the league.
Marc was electric, especially that season, and his goals made the double possible.
Everyone at Arsenal-Mania is sad to hear of his retirement because of persistent injury – it was too soon.
He leaves the game a modern Arsenal legend and with the best wishes of surely every Arsenal fan.
Thank you Marc.