Arsenal have had many iconic players represent them over the years.
The Gunners have historically been one of the biggest clubs on the planet, and their status in the global game has increased year by year.
Arsene Wenger was the biggest reason why Arsenal are such a big club today, and he developed several superstars during his time in North London, especially in his early years.
The likes of Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira are the ones who often get the credit, but Micah Richards has now named two icons who don’t get the same recognition.
Fill in the blank: The one Arsenal legend I would love to see play in Mikel Arteta’s current team is _______________
Micah Richards says Arsenal Invincibles Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg aren’t mentioned enough
The Arsenal Invincibles are arguably the greatest side in Premier League history.
The legendary squad went the entire season unbeaten, and although people try to talk down that achievement, the fact that nobody has even come close to replicating it shows just how incredible it is.
Henry was that Arsenal squad’s biggest superstar, while Vieira was the captain and the real leader on and off the pitch.
Dennis Bergkamp is fondly remembered for his contribution as well, as are the likes of Sol Campbell, Kolo Toure and Ashley Cole.
Richards feels the two players who aren’t mentioned as much are Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg.
He said on the Rest is Football podcast: “Some of the players in that team…
“Adams, Vieira, Thierry Henry, even the other players who don’t get that much mention – the Pires’ and Ljungbergs and all of them – what a team that was!”
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Two other Arsenal Invincibles are even more underrated than Pires and Ljungberg
Richards is right, Pires and Ljungberg don’t often get the credit that some of the other Arsenal Invincibles do, even though they were both outstanding.
However, there are a couple of players who were even bigger unsung heroes.
One of them was Gilberto Silva, who Wenger described as his most underrated player ever. The Brazilian is one of the biggest reasons why Vieira was as good as he was.
The other was Lauren at right-back. The former Cameroon international was one of the hardest players in the squad and played a huge role in the Gunners’ success.
Yes, the likes of Henry and Vieira deserve big credit, but people should not forget the contributions of these Arsenal legends as well.
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