Two Gunners legends believe long serving coach Arsene Wenger deserves to be immortalised, MySportDab reports.
Former Arsenal stars Ray Parlour and Martin Keown agree that Arsene Wenger ought to be given a statue outside the Emirates Stadium.
Arsene Wenger managed the Gunners for 22 years and is the most successful and longest serving head coach in the club’s history.
The Frenchman led Arsenal to three Premier League crowns and seven FA Cup titles whilst taking charge of the club between 1996 and 2018.
Arsene Wenger took Arsenal from their former home of Highbury to the modern Emirates Stadium which was opened in 2006.
Two of Arsene Wenger’s former charges believe the manager deserves a statue, insisting it might also not have ever opened if it not for him.
“Before him, we finished 10th, fourth, 12th, fifth in the Premier League.
Then we won three titles with him,” Keown told the Daily Mail.
“That’s why he deserves a statue,” Parlour added and he’s the one who created the Emirates.
He’s the one who had that focus to say Highbury, as a lot as we all loved it, was not big enough.”
The two players believe that Wenger, who has not taken another managerial job since leaving the club, should additionally be given a position in Arsenal’s board room.
“Wenger was a visionary and he must be in the board room,” Keown said.
“Could he have done that? Wenger loved the day-to-day; the training; the matches,” Parlour responded.
“What’s the alternative, though?” Keown replied.
“The alternative is what he’s got now no official link to Arsenal Football Club when he should be sitting proudly in the board room.
When I hear him talk, he nonetheless says ‘us’ and ‘we’.
Have Arsene Wenger on the board and put his knowledge to use.”
Following Wenger’s departure Arsenal appointed former Valencia, Sevilla and PSG boss Unai Emery as his replacement.
However the Spaniard would last only a season and a half before being sacked in November 2019.
Emery was replaced by Mikel Arteta, and Wenger has expressed hope that his former player can assist restore the “culture” that the club has misplaced in recent seasons.
“I believe there is a tradition in the way to play football at Arsenal that I want to be respected, and I hope Mikel can get that back,” says Wenger.
