Tottenham legend now claims Arsene Wenger was ‘ahead’ of every other coach he worked with

Add as preferred source on Google

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in history, and spent most of his career in North London.

Wenger won 10 major trophies and helped transform Arsenal upon his arrival, whilst also helping navigate through difficult financial years as a result of the move to the Emirates Stadium.

However, before his time at Arsenal, Wenger had a spell coaching French side AS Monaco, and a Tottenham Hotspur legend in Glenn Hoddle would play under the Frenchman.

Hoddle was one of the most gifted England players of his generation, and made 490 appearances for Spurs, but he has now claimed that Wenger was by far the best manager he ever worked under.

Glenn Hoddle praises Arsene Wenger as his best-ever coach

Speaking on the Football’s Greatest Podcast, Hoddle claimed that Wenger’s revolutionary approach to fitness and dieting made him the best manager he ever had, and admitted that he did not expect the Arsenal squad to take to his methods immediately.

“I’ve got to say Arsene. I think Arsene Wenger for me, he was ahead, and I think they were in France and abroad to be honest, on so many different angles,” he stated.

“It made you think that you were a complete footballer, it was about mind, the body, looking after yourself, doing the warm-downs.

“Arsene changed everything. He changed it here, but it was the same- I had a taste of that before over there (Monaco), so when he went to Arsenal, I knew what was going to happen.

“I looked at a few of the players and I thought, ‘well good luck with that one,’ but they listened and learned, and then they went on and done what they did, so fair dues to them players, and Arsene was excellent.”

Arsene Wenger’s immediate impact at Arsenal

Wenger joined the club in 1996, and immediately sought out to change the culture of heavy drinking and partying in the Arsenal team.

This helped extend the careers of the likes of Tony Adams, and in Wenger’s first season, his methods to improve the fitness and technical level of the squad saw them win the double, with his signings Patrick Vieira and Nicolas Anelka particularly impressive.

Hoddle worked under the likes of David Pleat and Keith Burkinshaw, and made 87 appearances under Wenger at Monaco, but it sums up the Frenchman’s brilliance that he had a bigger lasting impact on Hoddle than any Spurs coach did.