Cesc Fabregas snubbed Arsenal icon as his most ‘gifted’ teammate, Zinedine Zidane would have him top

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Cesc Fabregas has now named the three most talented players he worked with in his Arsenal career, leaving out one legendary name.

Cesc Fabregas was a world-class player, and was a sensation from a remarkably early age.

Having been plucked out of the Barcelona academy system by Arsene Wenger, the Spanish midfielder was handed his senior debut at Arsenal whilst he was still only 16-year-old. 

By the time he was 17, he was a regular in he side. Over the course of the 2004/05 season, when the Gunners were reigning Premier League champions, he made 46 appearances, across all competitions.

Fabregas went on to make over 300 appearances for the North London club, becoming captain and winning an FA Cup, before leaving to return to Barcelona in 2011.

At his best, the 37-year-old was a talisman for Arsenal, and is undeniably one of the most talented individuals to have represented the club in the modern era.

However, he also played alongside many such greats, and has now named his own personal top three.

• READ MORE: All Arsenal legends in the Premier League Hall of Fame from Henry to Wenger

Cesc Fabregas leaves Thierry Henry out of Arsenal top three

As quoted by The Mirror, Fabregas was recently asked to named the most “technically gifted” player he played with at Arsenal. Unable to offer just a single name, the former playmaker said: “Bergkamp, Rosicky and Hleb.”

Dennis Bergkamp is the least surprising inclusion on this list. The Dutchman is an Arsenal legend, who regularly stunned supporters with his elegance and astonishing control of the ball.

Meanwhile, few would argue with Tomas Rosicky’s talent, though injuries hugely impacted his career. Despite 10 seasons on the books at Arsenal, he managed just 170 Premier League appearances for the club.

Alexander Hleb had a shorter Arsenal career, spending just three seasons at the club between 2005 and 2008, before moving on to join Barcelona. However, he never really settled at the Camp Nou, and went on to have a nomadic career, never recapturing his best form from his Arsenal stint.

Denilson recently named Hleb as the most underrated Arsenal player he shared a dressing room with.

It is a surprise, though, that Fabregas left Thierry Henry out of his selection. After all, the French icon is the highest goalscorer in Arsenal’s history, and arguably the best player to have ever donned the famous red and white shirt.

France legend Zinedine Zidane once said, as quoted by talkSPORT: “Thierry Henry is probably technically the most gifted footballer ever to play the beautiful game.”

Now, since both have made the move into managerial roles, Fabregas and Henry still have a friendship.