Sport nationDeclan Rice makes feelings on Arsene Wenger crystal clear as one Arsenal regret emerges
Arsenal star Declan Rice has discussed the influence of Arsene Wenger on the club since the former manager made his eventual return to the club.
Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates with the fans after the team’s victory during the UEFA Champions League match between Sevilla FC and Arsenal FC at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on October 24, 2023 in Seville, Spain.
Declan Rice has discussed the impact of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal star Declan Rice has detailed the influence on former manager Arsene Wenger on the club, years after he has left from his position. The Gunners had plenty of glory days under the Frenchman in a 22-year spell that included its fair share of trophies along the way.
Three Premier League titles, one invincible league season and seven FA Cups were achieved in that time period, as well as near misses in the Champions League. The end of his era at the Emirates Stadium came in circumstances that may not have reflected the success he found earlier on.
There had been a growing discontent as Arsenal fell into a state of decline on the playing side, with results starting to dry up over many seasons. Missing out on the Champions League became a regular occurrence and with it found a club that was looking for its identity again.
Wenger left in 2018 and things have hardly been easy for the fanbase since then as the reign of his successor, Unai Emery, failed to live up to the heights. The north London outfit looked elsewhere and landed Mikel Arteta, a former player that had impressed as Pep Guardiola’s right-hand man at Manchester City.
There was still that feeling of discontent for a few of the early seasons under the Spaniard, but slowly those standards he had set to greater match those successful days were having an impact. The academy was well represented on the field and transfer decisions were smarter.
READ MORE: Arsenal news and transfers LIVE – Ballon d’Or award, Jude Bellingham deal, Neto twist, injury latest
READ MORE: Jamal Musiala sends Arsenal wonderkid message amid transfer links
All of a sudden, the team looked far more comparable to that of Wenger’s early days at the club all these years later as they continue to push for the Premier League title. The impact of their former boss was found to be respected once more as he finally made his return to the Emirates Stadium last season.
It was the first time in years that the Frenchman had returned to the club, with Arteta insistent that he would have a role if he wanted it. A statue outside the ground has also commemorated the achievements of Wenger and with some time to reflect, those could be properly appreciated.
It’s something that summer signing Rice has discussed and seen the impact of in just his first few months with the Gunners. He told BeinSports: “He’s [Wenger] spoken about all the time. If you look at managers of other clubs in the past that have left, they maybe don’t quite have that legacy or the same way they’re spoken about. With Arsene, every player you speak to, he’s like a god to them.
“When I met him for the first time, I was a bit star-struck in a way like ‘wow that’s Arsene Wenger’ in terms of the stories you hear from players, the way he used to coach and way he used to have his teams playing. It was an honour to meet him, shame I couldn’t play under him but it was great to meet him in the end and hopefully many more times to come.”
While there will be a time for this current squad to replicate the successes of those that came before them, there is now the time to finally reflect on the impact of those that laid the foundations for the club in the modern era.
football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel
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Declan Rice makes feelings on Arsene Wenger crystal clear as one Arsenal regret emerges
Arsenal star Declan Rice has discussed the influence of Arsene Wenger on the club since the former manager made his eventual return to the club.
Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates with the fans after the team’s victory during the UEFA Champions League match between Sevilla FC and Arsenal FC at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on October 24, 2023 in Seville, Spain.
Declan Rice has discussed the impact of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal star Declan Rice has detailed the influence on former manager Arsene Wenger on the club, years after he has left from his position. The Gunners had plenty of glory days under the Frenchman in a 22-year spell that included its fair share of trophies along the way.
Three Premier League titles, one invincible league season and seven FA Cups were achieved in that time period, as well as near misses in the Champions League. The end of his era at the Emirates Stadium came in circumstances that may not have reflected the success he found earlier on.
There had been a growing discontent as Arsenal fell into a state of decline on the playing side, with results starting to dry up over many seasons. Missing out on the Champions League became a regular occurrence and with it found a club that was looking for its identity again.
Wenger left in 2018 and things have hardly been easy for the fanbase since then as the reign of his successor, Unai Emery, failed to live up to the heights. The north London outfit looked elsewhere and landed Mikel Arteta, a former player that had impressed as Pep Guardiola’s right-hand man at Manchester City.
There was still that feeling of discontent for a few of the early seasons under the Spaniard, but slowly those standards he had set to greater match those successful days were having an impact. The academy was well represented on the field and transfer decisions were smarter.
READ MORE: Arsenal news and transfers LIVE – Ballon d’Or award, Jude Bellingham deal, Neto twist, injury latest
READ MORE: Jamal Musiala sends Arsenal wonderkid message amid transfer links
All of a sudden, the team looked far more comparable to that of Wenger’s early days at the club all these years later as they continue to push for the Premier League title. The impact of their former boss was found to be respected once more as he finally made his return to the Emirates Stadium last season.
It was the first time in years that the Frenchman had returned to the club, with Arteta insistent that he would have a role if he wanted it. A statue outside the ground has also commemorated the achievements of Wenger and with some time to reflect, those could be properly appreciated.
It’s something that summer signing Rice has discussed and seen the impact of in just his first few months with the Gunners. He told BeinSports: “He’s [Wenger] spoken about all the time. If you look at managers of other clubs in the past that have left, they maybe don’t quite have that legacy or the same way they’re spoken about. With Arsene, every player you speak to, he’s like a god to them.
“When I met him for the first time, I was a bit star-struck in a way like ‘wow that’s Arsene Wenger’ in terms of the stories you hear from players, the way he used to coach and way he used to have his teams playing. It was an honour to meet him, shame I couldn’t play under him but it was great to meet him in the end and hopefully many more times to come.”
While there will be a time for this current squad to replicate the successes of those that came before them, there is now the time to finally reflect on the impact of those that laid the foundations for the club in the modern era.
football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel
Want to keep up to date with the breaking and important Arsenal stories whilst on the move? Well now you can!
Click this link to follow the football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel, where you’ll be kept up to date on the latest Gunners news wherever you are.
Just remember to turn on the notifications once you’ve followed, and you won’t miss a beat!
Feel inspired to make a positive change?
We have selected our top trusted sources that can help you take action…
Donate to Kick It Out to support equality in football
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Amina Umar
