Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira is still greatly admired in North London, nearly 20 years since he captained the Invincibles, and he has now hinted at a future return to the club.
The World Cup winner is one of the greatest players in the history of the club, winning three league titles under Arsene Wenger as one of the Frenchman’s first signings, and despite playing for Manchester City later on in his career, is still revered by Arsenal fans.
Despite his legendary playing career, Vieira has had a mixed spell as a manager, having been sacked by Crystal Palace last season, but is now the manager of Ligue 1 side Strasbourg FC.
Speaking to Telefoot, Vieira has now admitted that whilst he is committed to his current club, he cannot rule out a return to Arsenal in the future.
“This job is a very difficult one. You never know what can happen,” he stated when asked about an Arsenal return.
“My objectives and my desire is to bring this club (Strasbourg) to another level and we’ll see about the rest.”
Could Vieira come back to Arsenal?
As things stand, a return as a manager seems highly unlikely for the foreseeable future. Mikel Arteta is here to stay for the long term, and Vieira has not performed to a high enough level as a coach to show that he can lead Arsenal any time soon.
However, if he is willing to become an assistant coach or even a director, the door could always be open for him. Whilst he attempts to have a successful career as head coach, he is better off elsewhere.
Aside from Arteta, other former Arsenal captains have tried to enter into management, with Tony Adams also having a few unsuccessful stints with the likes of Portsmouth and Granada, and Thierry Henry failing to make an impact in a brief stint at Monaco.
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