Oh, to be a Gooner: 5 greatest players in Arsenal history

Arsenal Football Club are one of England’s most storied and successful clubs in the history of the game. Across 138 years of history, the club have won 13 top-flight titles and a record 14 FA Cups amongst a plethora of other honours. They are the third-most successful English club in terms of honors won and are one of the “Big Six” within the modern Premier League, alongside the Manchester clubs, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

As you may expect with a team of such quality, much of Arsenal’s history has included players of the highest calibre in order to maintain such standards. The Gunners have seen some truly exceptional talents turn out for them over the years, but with that being said, which five players from across history can be regarded as the best to ever play for the North London side?

5. Ian Wright

Ian Wright made his debut in professional football just weeks shy of his 22nd birthday, which only adds to the multitude of impressive feats that he achieved in his career. After six years with Crystal Palace, his form was of such a level that Arsenal came calling, with Wright being signed for a then-club record fee.

The striker, who made his debut for England in the same year that he moved to North London, spent seven years with Arsenal, scoring 180 goals in just 281 games for the Gunners, which ranks him as the club’s second-highest scorer of all time. Wright won a cup double in the 1992/93 campaign, helping the team secure both the FA Cup and the League Cup before going on to win the European Cup Winners’ Cup the following season. 

Despite being injured in the 1997/98 term, his final year with the club, his contributions helped Arsenal win another FA Cup, though Wright didn’t play in the final, and the Premier League. Ahead of the following campaign, the striker joined West Ham United for £500,000, having established himself as a cult hero at Arsenal.

4. Patrick Vieira

Patrick Vieira earned a move to AC Milan at just 19 years old, but only made five appearances across the one season he was there before joining Arsenal in 1996, the same year that legendary manager Arsene Wenger was appointed, where he would remain for almost a decade.

Vieira made a name for himself as an aggressive, tough-tackling midfielder with skill on the ball when his team were in possession. The Frenchman made over 400 appearances for Arsenal throughout his time in the English capital, ultimately rising to the rank of captain in 2002 after the retirement of Tony Adams.

The midfielder won three Premier League titles with the Gunners and was part of their famous “Invincibles” side that won the 2003/04 English top flight unbeaten. After nine years of service, Vieira joined Juventus in 2005, with Arsenal making a comfortable profit on one of their greatest-ever midfielders.

3. Dennis Bergkamp

Dennis Bergkamp was 26 when he joined Arsenal, having established himself at Ajax and Inter Milan in the nine years prior to his move to London. The following year, Arsene Wenger was appointed as manager and the Frenchman made Bergkamp one of the pivotal cogs in his attacking system.

Bergkamp formed a strong attacking partnership with Thierry Henry following the Frenchman’s arrival in 1999, but before and after that, Bergkamp showcased his ability on a consistent basis for his team, regardless of the players around him.

The Dutchman was as known for his keen eye for goal as he was for his creative flair when the ball was at his feet, with Bergkamp having racked up over 100 goals and over 100 assists during his time with the Gunners. Part of the Invincibles team, Bergkamp also helped fire Arsenal to three Premier League titles and three FA Cups, as well as being part of the team that reached the 2006 Champions League final.

2. Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry spent five years with Monaco before earning a move to Italian giants Juventus. After just six months, however, Henry departed the Turin side for Arsenal, having struggled to find his place in the team. He went on to spend seven years with Arsenal and is still regarded as one of, if not the best, players to have ever represented the team.

Over his tenure with the club, including a brief loan stint in 2012, Henry racked up 326 goal contributions in 377 games, 228 of them being goals. A phenomenal scorer, Henry’s combination of technical ability, frightening pace and physicality and mercurial dribbling talents made him a nightmare for opposing defenders.

Henry’s 2007 transfer to Barcelona came as something of a surprise to many, who had hoped that he would stay in North London. Despite this, it did nothing to dampen a legacy that shines brightly to this day. 2007, though, did not signify Henry’s final appearance for Arsenal.

In 2012, during the MLS off-season, Henry re-joined Arsenal on a two-month loan, appearing in four Premier League matches. In his final match for the club, against Sunderland in the league, Henry scored the winning goal in stoppage time, a fitting finale for such a legendary figure.

1. Tony Adams

A player so synonymous with the club that he has become known as “Mr. Arsenal,” Tony Adams joined the Gunners as a youth player in 1980, making his senior debut with the team three years later and playing for no other domestic side in what would be a 19-year long senior career.

A no-nonsense defender, Adams racked up 669 appearances over three different decades for the Gunners, inheriting the captain’s armband at just 21 years of age and holding it until his retirement. He would swiftly become known for his leadership as well as his talent, which also saw the center-back score 48 goals for Arsenal.

Adams helped Arsenal win 10 major honors in his time at the club, including two First Division and two Premier League titles, a European Cup Winners’ Cup, two League Cups and three FA Cups. To celebrate the club’s 125th anniversary, statues of Adams, Thierry Henry and Herbert Chapman (and later Dennis Bergkamp) were built outside of the Emirates, a fitting tribute for true legends of the club.