Arsenal legend Ian Wright has recalled an incident that he knew would mark the end of his time at the Gunners
Arsenal legend Ian Wright(Image credit: Getty Images)
When Arsene Wenger arrived at Arsenal in 1996 he revolutionised the English game by introducing a level of professionalism previously unseen on these shores.
Diets were monitored, alcohol was banned and training revolutionised as the Frenchman installed a new culture at the club.
These changes worked, as the Gunners enjoyed one of the best periods in the club’s history during the first half of Wenger’s reign.
Arsene Wenger arrived at Arsenal in 1996
But in those early days, it wasn’t all plain sailing for some of the club’s more experienced players, who sometimes struggled to meet the new manager’s exacting standards in what proved to be a major culture shock.
A case in point comes via Ian Wright, who recalled the moment when he ‘knew it was over’ between him and Wenger after the boss caught him rollerblading down the iconic Marble Halls at the club’s former Highbury Stadium.
“Yeah, he did – this is one of my greatest moments,” Wright told Gary Neville on Sky Bet’s The Overlap.
“This is when I knew it was over for me with Wenger. It was the year before we won the Premier League, and I remember I’d just gotten into the rollerblades. At Arsenal, there was a bit where we used to park our cars that was smooth. I was doing my rollerblading there – I went there an hour earlier than I normally had to be there so I could do some rollerblading.
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Ian Wright in his playing days at Arsenal
"I thought I didn’t need to take them off, I’d just take them to Vic [Akers, Arsenal kit man] to hide them. I thought I could just go through the Marble Halls – no one has done that.
“I opened the door, and as I skated through, Arsène Wenger came past looking at me. As he was going past, he said ‘Ian, this is not acceptable’. He was livid – I’ve never seen him angry. I didn’t even think for one second it was irresponsible, it was the day of a game – I could’ve twisted my ankle.”
Wright would leave Arsenal for West Ham United in July 1998, shortly after the club had won the Premier League and FA Cup double in Wenger’s second season in north London.
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
