Arsene Wenger celebrates in front of Arsenal fans in 2004
Arsene Wenger celebrates in front of Arsenal fans in 2004

Arsene Wenger leaving Arsenal: Former players react to news


Arsene Wenger has confirmed he will step down as Arsenal manager at the end of the season.

He will leave a year before his contract was due to expire at the Emirates, but he has decided to bring his 22-year reign to an end.

He won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups since his appointment in October 1996 - and he could add another piece of silverware before the end of the season with Arsenal in the last four of the Europa League.

While the Frenchman was always going to leave the north Londoners sooner rather than later, the news still comes as a shock to the world of football.

He has been hugely influential on the English game and his former players have been paying tribute on social media.

See below...

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Nigel Winterburn, via Sky Sports

"It doesn't surprise me if I'm quite honest. I've done a lot of work around the club in the last few years, and there is a different feel around the stadium this year.

"The last four or five league games, the crowds are well down, I think it has run its natural course. Wenger has been absolutely amazing for Arsenal Football Club. He has kept the club relatively successful, but the one thing the fans wanted him to do was to get this Premier League title challenge and that hasn't happened.

Nigel Winterburn (second from right) celebrates after winning the Premier League with Arsenal in 1998

"It feels like the right time, and he will be remembered fondly at this club. I think when people look back, they will really appreciate what he has done.

"I think it's right, everyone has a clear picture from now until the end of the season, they need to win the Europa League to get into the Champions League.

"If it is Patrick Vieira, I would be delighted with that. He's learning in America, he is somebody who has been a winner with Arsenal, which is so, so important."

Paul Merson, via Sky Sports

"It’s great timing, with a massive football match coming up. I think the fans get behind him now until the end of the season.

"It’s good, everybody can pay their respects to him now, for how great he was as a manager. It’s perfect timing.

Arsenal legend and Soccer Saturday pundit Paul Merson

"You didn’t want it to fizzle out, not have a good performance against West Ham. You didn’t want him to drift away.

"It gives the fans the chance to pack the Emirates between now and the end of the season.

"He is a legend, legend is used loosely in football, but at Arsenal he is a legend, there’s no doubt about that."

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Charlie Nicholas, via Sky Sports

"Arsene is the greatest achiever at Arsenal and I include the players in there. He is an absolute genius.

"Obviously over the last few years the team as a whole has generally gone backwards. But for the amount of consistency and style this man has brought, he has been absolutely unbelievable.

"It is a sad day but I am happy because I think Arsene was taking on too much strain, it was getting to him.

"But that man there, he is the main achiever of it all and because of that, when you see the stands not quite full, I think the pain was starting to seep through to him.

"I think he was starting to realise he had a lot of quality players but he couldn't knit them together properly with the defensive frailties.

"With the money he started to spend, that was starting to really frustrate and agitate him [team not knitting together] but he has been an absolute genius.

"He has been an absolute treat for the football club, I don't know where we go to replace him, that is the hardest part.

"But it has been an absolute pleasure. All Arsenal fans get behind the man, show the respect and appreciation he deserves for what he has done for this football club. He has been absolutely outstanding."

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