1996 was a significant year for Arsenal, as the greatest manager in the history of the club, and one of the best-ever players, both joined.
There was plenty of speculation over who would become the next Arsenal manager in the summer of 1996, and Arsene Wenger was widely believed to be taking over. However, he still had to see out his contract at Nagoya Grampus Eight.
Wenger was still conducting behind the scenes though, and he instructed David Dein to sign two players in anticipation of his arrival.
On August 14th 1996, Arsenal signed Patrick Vieira, and the rest is history. Wenger confirmed his arrival a month later on September 22nd to properly link up with the Arsenal team and his targeted signings.
Vieira went on to captain the Invincibles side, and won three Premier League titles as perhaps the best central midfielder in Arsenal’s history.
The World Cup winner is widely regarded as one of Wenger’s finest signings, but he was not alone when he joined, as fellow French midfielder Remi Garde also arrived on the same day.
Arsenal signed Patrick Vieira and Remi Garde on the same day
Vieira was not the most high-profile signing Arsenal made on the day he joined. He arrived as a promising talent from AC Milan, having made just two Serie A appearances for the Italian giants.
Garde joined on the same day, and at that point, he was already a France International. Garde had built up a reputation at Lyon and Strasbourg in France, and went to Euro 1992 with the French National Team.
The midfielder was 30 at the time, and the expectation was that he would arrive as a rotational option in the middle of the park. Still, two players had arrived, and fans knew more about Garde than they did Vieira.
Remi Garde made positive impression despite lack of minutes for Arsenal
Injury problems plagued Garde, and he made just 41 appearances in three years, registering three assists in that time. On the pitch, he was a fairly forgettable figure.
However, Arsenal legend Martin Keown was at Highbury when both players arrived, and nearly 20 years later, he heaped praise on Garde for the experience he brought to the side.
“Nobody knew much about Vieira at that stage but Garde came in as an international with a good reputation. Though he didn’t play much at Arsenal – injuries hampered his career at the club – he made a big impression and was an important part of Wenger’s strategy,” Keown wrote in The Daily Mail.
“Garde felt like a key part of the foundations. He is an intelligent football man but I always felt he was very intuitive as well. He had a good feel for the game and in many respects was very similar to Wenger.”
“You could not fail to be impressed by him and the other French players Wenger brought in. I remember training with them at the gym and thinking: ‘These guys are serious professionals. They mean business,'” Keown added.
Remi Garde and Patrick Vieira both entered management after retirement
Garde retired in 1999 as a Premier League winner, and eventually returned to Lyon as a coach in 2003. In 2011, he became the manager of the French giants.
The former Arsenal midfielder spent three seasons as Lyon manager, and had players including former Arsenal pair Alexandre Lacazette and Kim Kallstrom, as well as Hugo Lloris at his disposal.
Aston Villa then sprung a surprise when they hired Garde in November 2015, to salvage the mess left by Tim Sherwood. Garde managed Villa against Wenger’s Arsenal in December 2015, with goals from Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey firing Arsenal to the top of the table.
Garde could not stop Villa from suffering a brutal relegation with just three league wins all season, and he departed by mutual consent before the season ended.
Vieira has managed a series of clubs including Crystal Palace and Strasbourg, but is currently not in a role. The legendary former captain retired in 2011 after spells at Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester City followed his time at Arsenal.
Both players were more notable for their playing careers rather than coaching, but whilst Vieira is most associated with Arsenal, Garde was a background figure at Highbury, but perhaps an underappreciated one.
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