Gael Clichy reveals what Arsene Wenger told him after Arsenal debut, it shows his class

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Former Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy joined the club at a young age, but went on to have a good career in the Premier League.

The Frenchman was one of several Arsenal players who moved to Manchester City over a decade ago, alongside the likes of Samir Nasri, Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure.

Clichy came into the Arsenal squad during the Invincibles era, having taken the place of Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and was initially an understudy to Ashley Cole.

For a teenager to play ahead of one of Arsenal’s greatest left-backs was always going to be a difficult task, but Arsene Wenger nevertheless ensured that Clichy gained a fair chance to succeed, and he would go on to make 264 appearances for the club.

What Arsene Wenger said to Gael Clichy after Arsenal debut

Clichy made his debut against Birmingham City in the Invincible season, starting as a right-back in a 3-0 victory at St Andrews’, and he has now told the Coaches Voice what advice Wenger gave him after the game.

“Listen, I’m not playing an 18-year-old boy for him to perform. I don’t need you to win the game for me,” Wenger told Clichy.

“What I want to know from you is: yesterday, have you given everything that you had in your legs?” I said: “Yes,” Clichy explained.

“He asked me: “Have you been honest with your teammates?” Again, I replied: “Yes.” Then he said: “That is all I want.

“When I put someone in at your age, I just want that person to give his best. The result? The players around you are going to take care of that.”

Arsene Wenger’s brilliance at developing talent

Wenger has developed countless young talents at Arsenal over the years, with his ability to nurture players to get the best out of them one of the Frenchman’s finest attributes.

Clichy would go on to make 325 Premier League appearances, and whilst the defender was not too highly rated by some, he is a good example of Wenger’s high-risk, high-reward methods when it comes to young players.

Replacing someone of Van Bronckhorst’s experience and quality with an unproven teenager from French side Cannes was a very surprising move, but Clichy went on to make 12 Premier League appearances in the Invincibles season, playing a vital role as Cole’s backup.

Such deals could backfire on and off the pitch, but Wenger ensured that even if the young players would not succeed at Arsenal, they were given a fair chance, to the benefit of their own career development, and Clichy is clearly thankful for the trust placed in him at the time.