Alan Shearer says Arsenal have a ‘legend’ who was the best defender he ever played against

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Premier League legend Alan Shearer has named one of Arsenal’s legends as the best defender he ever played against.

As one of the biggest football clubs in the world, Arsenal have had their fair share of legends over the years.

From the heroes of yesteryear like Liam Brady and John Radford to contemporary icons like Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, the Arsenal history books are full of iconic players.

Shearer, the Premier League’s highest scorer of all time, got the better of most of the defenders of his time, but one of the icons of Highbury was a very difficult proposition.

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Alan Shearer names Tony Adams as the toughest defender he ever faced

Alan Shearer spoke to the Daily Mail about the Premier League captains he rated the most highly, and Tony Adams was one he put in the Legend category.

The Newcastle United icon said Adams was the toughest defender he had ever faced, and recalled the “great battles” he had with him over the years.

When asked why he put Adams in the Legend category, Shearer said: “He was the best defender I played against.

“We had some great battles over the years. He kicked me, I kicked him, but we both shook hands at the end of it.

“What he won, what he meant to those Arsenal players and how he changed his career around, I guess, from where he was to where he got to and what he had to get through when Arsene [Wenger] went to Arsenal.

“And when you speak to any ex-Arsenal player who played under Tony as captain, they will tell you how great he was.”

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Why Tony Adams is known as Mr. Arsenal

Adams is known as Mr. Arsenal because of his unwavering loyalty to the Gunners and his impact at Highbury as a one-club man.

He spent the entirety of his 19-year career as a centre-back at Highbury, making 672 appearances for Arsenal and winning four English league titles.

Adams uniquely captained a title-winning team in three different decades – in 1989, 1991, 1998 and 2002.