Arsenal have had some incredible players over the years, but whilst some managed to make themselves legends at the club, others did not reach their full potential.
During the very early years of the Premier League, Arsenal had stars such as Tony Adams and Ian Wright, who would go on to become club legends and go down in history as some of the best players the league has ever seen.
Whilst there were plenty of other players who did not quite reach their level, Arsenal did have one player who hit true heights of greatness in the Premier League, but not at Highbury.
Striker Andy Cole came through the academy at the club, which would later go on to produce elite-level talents such as modern-day star Bukayo Saka, but the striker did not fulfil his potential at the club at all.
He would go on to become the fourth-highest goalscorer in Premier League history and win several trophies with Manchester United, but Wright explained that Arsenal’s decision to let him go after just one appearance was perhaps justified at the time.
Ian Wright reveals Arsenal stance on Andy Cole prior to exit
Speaking on a very early episode of Wrighty’s House Podcast in 2020, the former striker explained that Arsenal did not receive Cole’s “lazy” attitude well despite his talent, and let him join Bristol City on a permanent deal in 1992.
“When I went to Arsenal, Andy Cole was somebody that they said, ‘No, he’s never going to score more than 10 goals because he’s lazy,'” Wright revealed.
“They would talk about his attitude. All the players would point to him, Tony Adams, and say he is something special, but I don’t think he’s going to get it in time.
“I remember watching him in the games and it would be very easy for people like the coaches to say, ‘Nah, move him onto somewhere else,’ because when he was doing the running he was 30, 40 yards behind other people. He was literally jogging when people were running.
Ian Wright could see Andy Cole’s potential at Arsenal
Wright also revealed a conversation he had prior to Cole’s exit, and subsequent explosion into live at Bristol City, Newcastle United and Man United.
“When he played in the games, you could see that he done something,” Wright added.
“You’ve seen that player cast aside so many times. So before he went to Fulham, I said, ‘Andy, go and just score goals.’
“How Andy is and how his demeanor is he’s always been like that, very calm, very cool.
Arsenal’s scepticism of Andy Cole
“When he went to Fulham he scored a couple of goals, but when he went to Bristol City and he really got the bug of playing and scoring, then you started to see it,” Wright pointed out.
“That’s when you could see the people at Arsenal started to say, ‘Ok, yeah, but it’s Bristol City,’
“When he went to Newcastle, he frightened the life out of everyone.
Wright believes that Cole, who has won nearly every trophy on offer, should be higher regarded when talking about the greatest strikers in Premier League history.
“[He’s] somebody who still doesn’t get the credit for me when people talk about the top end of the Premier League, absolutely ridiculous.”
Cole is not someone Arsenal fans hold in good favour given what he did at a rival in Man United, but a sense of frustration over losing such a talent was forgotten given that the likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry would light up North London just a few years later.
Henry was undoubtedly better than Cole overall, but Cole did score 12 more Premier League goals than the Frenchman.
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