50 Greatest Arsenal Players Ever

Arsenal has produced a host of amazing players over their incredible 127-year history.

Gunners fans grow misty-eyed reminiscing about the stars of yesteryear. Legendary players like Peter Storey, Frank Stapleton, Liam Brady, Frank McLintock, Pat Jennings, Charlie George, Dennis Bergkamp and, not to forget, Tony Adams and Thierry Henry have all been lucky enough to stroll through the hallowed marble halls of Highbury.

Over 800 men have had the good fortune to play for the Arsenal and just over 200 players have played over 100 games. Each and every one of these men lived the life that many fans dream of, but who are the best?

Here, Bleacher Report offers up the 50 greatest players to ever grace the club.

Honorable Mentions and Criteria

Putting together a top-50 list from over 800 players who have played across almost 100 years is a next-to-impossible task. 

I have been lucky enough to have seen the vast majority of these players in action, but for players from the 1960s and further back, I have had to rely upon testimony, description, club status and the odd video.

There are, of course, many great players who have failed to make the list. 

Recent stars like Sylvain Wiltord and Kanu have been left out, as have the likes of Steve Bould, Kolo Toure and even Jack Wilshere.

The criteria for making the list is simple. 

Players have been chosen on four disciplines:

• Relative Team Importance
• Club Importance
• Career
• Skill

Read on and don't forget to leave your comments and suggestions in the section below. Enjoy, and remember it's all a bit of fun, so don't be insulted if your favorite players haven't made the list.

Oh, and there is no place for Emmanuel Adebayor in case you were wondering.

50. Joe Baker

Timeline: 1962-1966

Arsenal Appearances: 156

Arsenal Goals: 100

Honors: None

Joe Baker was one of a handful of Englishmen to have sampled football abroad in the 1960s. The incredibly quick center-forward joined Arsenal from Torino in 1962 for the princely sum of £70,000—a club record at the time.

Baker lasted four seasons with the Gunners and finished as the top scorer in every one. He managed 100 goals in 156 appearances for the club.

Baker was the kind of player who played off the shoulder of the last defender. He possessed magnificent pace, great strength and a deceptive touch.

49. Jens Lehmann

Timeline: 2003-2008, 2011

Arsenal Appearances: 200

Arsenal Goals: 0

Honors: 2003-2004 Premier League, 2004 Community Shield, 2005 FA Cup

Jens Lehmann will forever be remembered as part of the great Invincibles side of the 2003-04 season. 

That particular season was the German international's first at Arsenal. Lehmann more than played his part. He was greatly charismatic and was unlucky not to have won the Champions League with the Gunners in 2006.

On the way to the final defeat against Barcelona—where he was sent off in the 18th minute—he kept 10 consecutive clean sheets.

This run dated all the way back to March 2005. It helped the Arsenal stopper set a Champions League record of 853 minutes without conceding a goal. Incidentally, the score was 0-0 when he was red carded versus Barca.

48. George Graham

Timeline: 1966-1972

Arsenal Appearances: 308

Arsenal Goals: 77

Honors: 1970-1971 League title, 1971 FA Cup, 1970 Fairs Cup (precursor to the UEFA Cup)

George Graham is something of a management legend at Arsenal having won numerous titles during his nine-year reign at the club. The Scot won six major trophies during that time, including Division 1 in 1989 and 1991.

Unlike many Gunners playing legends, he was given a chance to manage the club where he made his name. 

Graham played for Arsenal during the 1970s and was part of the famous double-winning team of 1971. He was a no-nonsense center-forward and scored 77 goals in 398 appearances. Despite a stern reputation, Graham was an adaptable and intelligent striker who was an integral part of the team.

47. Emmanuel Petit

Timeline: 1997-2000

Arsenal Appearances: 118

Arsenal Goals: 11

Honors: 1997-1998 Premier League title, 1998 FA Cup (the Double)

Emmanuel Petit is guaranteed a place in Arsenal's and Arsene Wenger's greatest-signings list.

The ex-left-back from Monaco was converted into a central midfielder by Wenger. He and Patrick Vieira became one of best midfield partnerships ever seen in England. The duo dominated almost every midfield they came across and only Manchester United's Roy Keane could stand up to them.

Petit was a classy left-footed midfield maestro and wasn't afraid to put his boot in where it hurts. He initiated many of the Gunners' lightning quick attacks through his superb ability to read the game.

In the space of one season, Petit went from relative obscurity as a left-back to one of the best midfielders in the world. He won the Double in 1998 with Arsenal and then played a major part and scored in the final as France won the World Cup on home soil.

46. Tony Woodcock

Timeline: 1982-1985

Arsenal Appearances: 169

Arsenal Goals: 68

Honors: None

When Arsenal signed Tony Woodcock in 1982, they were struggling to replicate the success of the 1970s. He was a great success with Nottingham Forest in the late '70s and followed Kevin Keegan to Germany to play with Koln.

Woodcock was a classy forward who could also play out wide, but his Arsenal career was shortened by injuries. Don Howe was the manager at the time and was trying to build a team with a Wenger-esque style of play. Woodcock, as an ex-Forest player, was the ideal man to bring in. Though the Howe experiment did not work, Woodcock can only be deemed a success with 69 goals in 169 matches.

45. Alan Sunderland

Timeline: 1977-1984

Arsenal Appearances: 281

Arsenal Goals: 91

Honors: 1979 FA Cup

Alan Sunderland is one of the most underestimated Arsenal players of the post-war era. The midfielder-cum-striker joined the club from Wolves in 1977 after spending six successful years at Molineaux.

When Sunderland joined the club, he was used primarily as a midfielder where his bravery, appetite for battle and great stamina were put to use. However, when either Malcolm McDonald or Frank Stapleton got injured, Sunderland would deputize up front.

He eventually usurped McDonald from the team and would go on to be the club's top scorer in 1980 and in 1982. However, he is most well known for his dramatic late winner in the FA Cup final classic in 1979.

44. Alan Smith

Timeline 1987-1995

Arsenal Appearances: 347

Arsenal Goals: 115

Honors: 1988-1989, 1990-1991 League Titles, 1993 FA Cup, 1993 League Cup, 1994 UEFA Cup Winners Cup Winners, 1991 Charity Shield

Alan Smith enjoyed a superb time under George Graham. A typical Graham-like hard-working center-forward, Smith was the embodiment of Graham's teams.

He scored a superb 115 goals in 347 games. His deceptive build made him look slight, but Smith was a ferocious battler. He would fight for every ball and scored many goals through tireless running and grinding the opposition down.

43. David Jack

Timeline: 1928-1934

Arsenal Appearances: 208

Arsenal Goals: 124

Honors: 1930-31,1932-33, 1933-34 League titles, 1930 FA Cup.

David Jack was an all-important member of the all-conquering Arsenal side of the 1930s.

Jack was an inspired signing by Herbert Chapman. The creative forward became the first ever £10,000 player when he joined the club from Bolton in 1928. At the time, Jack was 29 and many felt he was too old to make a large impact at the club.

In his first season, he scored 25 goals in 31 games. In six seasons, he helped the Gunners to three league titles and an FA Cup. He was employed as a forward in Chapman's W-M formation and struck a fantastic understanding with Cliff Bastin and Alex James.

42. Charlie Nicholas

Timeline: 1983-1987

Arsenal Appearances: 184

Arsenal Goals: 54

Honors: 1987 League Cup

Charlie Nicholas was an incredibly prolific striker at Celtic before he joined the Gunners in 1983. He never reproduced those goalscoring feats at Arsenal but more than made up for his lack of goals with his work ethic.

Nicholas was a tireless center-forward who worked the line and tracked back almost every time. His return of 54 goals does not do him justice when read purely as a statistic today.

41. Peter Simpson

Timeline: 1964-1978

Arsenal Appearances: 477

Arsenal Goals: 15

Honors: 1970-1971 League title, 1971 FA Cup, 1970 European Fairs Cup 

Peter Simpson is one of the great Arsenal players of the late 1960s and 1970s that has become forgotten in the modern age. He was with the club as a groundsman prior to beginning his apprenticeship in 1962. 

As with all players during the late '60s and early '70s, he was as tough as they come. He formed a superb partnership with Frank McLintock at center-back and was a mainstay in the Arsenal team for many seasons. 

40. Frank Stapleton

Timeline: 1973-1980

Arsenal Appearances: 300

Arsenal Goals: 108

Honors: 1979 FA Cup

Frank Stapleton was "Super Frank" long before Frank Lampard was even a thought.

The Irish international was prolific with Arsenal and averaged just over a goal every three games. He was a big and powerful figure who was deceptively quick. He was phenomenal with his head and was a constant threat on goal. 

He formed partnerships with Alan Sunderland and Malcolm McDonald and scored in the famous 1979 FA Cup final.

39. Ray Parlour

Timeline: 1989-2004

Arsenal Appearances: 466

Arsenal Goals: 32

Honors: 1998, 2002, 2004 Premier League titles, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2003 FA Cup titles, 1998, 1999 and 2002 Community Shield titles, 1993 League Cup, 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup.

The "Romford Pele" is one of the most loved players in Arsenal history. Ray Parlour, literally, ran himself into the ground for the cause over 15 seasons.

He won an incredible 12 trophies during that period and showed the kind of work ethic that makes people sweat just to think about it.

Part of Parlour's great success was his great partnership with Lee Dixon. The pair were almost symbiotic by nature and helped each other tremendously.

38. Eddie Hapgood

Timeline: 1927-1944

Arsenal Appearances: 440

Arsenal Goals: 2

Honors: 1930-1931, 1932-1933, 1933-1934, 1934-1935, 1937-1938 League Titles, 1930 & 1936 FA Cup Winner

If Emmanuel Petit is to go down as one of Wenger's greatest signings ever, then Eddie Hapgood may just be Herbert Chapman's equivalent.

Hapgood was a classy defender who was comfortable across the back line, but he specialized at left-back. In many ways he set the standard for the great defenders that would follow him over the next 70 years.

He was an Arsenal captain and won the League title five times before the World War II. Hapgood, then just 30 years old, saw his career shortened by the war. He did return to action in 1946 and would go on to make another 50 appearances for the club.

37. Paul Davis

Timeline: 1978-1995

Arsenal Appearances: 447

Arsenal Goals: 37

Honors: 1989, 1991 League Titles, 1979, 1993 FA Cup, 1987, 1993 League Cup, 1994 European Cup Winners Cup Winners, 1991 Charity Shield

Paul Davis played for Arsenal over three decades, and he was a legend in every single one. From the time he broke into the exciting side of the late 1970s to George Graham's pragmatic approach in the late 1980s, Davis was nothing but the most faithful of servants.

He was a midfielder who learned his trade under the likes of Brian Talbot, Liam Brady and Graham Rix. If anything, he combined their great styles into one superb package. He wasn't afraid to put his foot on the ball to produce a pass of beautiful grace. Nor was he afraid to put his foot through the ball to claim ball, player and all. 

36. Paul Merson

Timeline: 1984-1997

Arsenal Appearances: 425

Arsenal Goals: 99

Honors: 1989, 1991 League titles, 1993 FA Cup, 1991 Community Shield, 1987, 1993 League Cup, 1994 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Paul Merson was a No. 10 before English football had accepted European tactics. The highly decorated and skillful midfielder-cum-center-forward spent most of his career playing in a 4-4-2 formation. There he was utilized in a variety of positions from forward to center to right midfield.

Merson was skillful and tenacious enough to play any position with aplomb. In today's modern game, he would have thrived in a 4-2-3-1 formation where his great vision, creativity and eye for goal would have made him an incredibly dangerous deep-lying forward.

35. David O'Leary

Timeline: 1973-1993

Arsenal Appearances: 722

Arsenal Goals: 14

Honors: 1989, 1991 League Titles, 1979, 1993 FA Cup, 1987, 1993 League Cup, 1991 Charity Shield.

David O'Leary is an Arsenal legend having played a club record 722 times over a 20-year period.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, O'Leary was one of the famous three Irishmen at Arsenal in the 1970s alongside Liam Brady and Frank Stapleton. Despite playing with some great teams during the 1970s and 1980s, O'Leary's greatest successes came in the twilight of his Arsenal career.

It all seemed to kick off for him after his historic round of 16 penalty against Romania at the World Cup in 1990 for Ireland. Then, after some 17 years in the game, he would go on to win four major trophies in the space of just two years.

O'Leary was a classy defender who relied upon intelligence rather than grit and brute strength, and he was something of an anomaly in the English game of the 70s and 80s. 

34. David Rocastle

Timeline: 1983-1992

Arsenal Appearances: 277

Arsenal Goals: 34

Honors: 1988-1989, 1990-1991 League titles, 1987 League Cup, 1991 FA Charity Shield

David Rocastle was easily one of the most underestimated midfielders of his generation. Only capped by England 14 times, Rocastle was part of the George Graham dynasty that won the league in 1989 and 1991.

Rocastle was one of the last English midfielders who was gifted at every aspect of the game. He could attack, defend, act as a playmaker and possessed lung bursting stamina and deceptive strength.

He played in every single game of Arsenal's title-winning 1989 season and it is one of the great mysteries of English football why he never made the England squads for the World Cup in 1990 or the European Championships in 1992.

Rocastle passed away in 2001 at just 33 year of age after contracting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Arsenal have since named a youth team training facility after him. He is also one of 32 Arsenal legends to be honored by having their images painted on the side of the Emirates stadium.

33. Bob Wilson

Timeline: 1963-1974

Arsenal Appearances: 308

Arsenal Goals: 0

Honors: 1971 League title, 1971 FA Cup, 1970 European Fairs Cup

Bob Wilson will go down in history as one of the goalkeeping greats of the postwar era. The Scottish international was a superb communicator and shot stopper and was incredibly agile despite a robust build.

He was simply superb during Arsenal's famous double in 1971 and claimed the club's player of the season award after a series of stupendous performances.

He is best known to modern fans because of his coaching record with the club. Having retired early in 1974 at just 32 years of age, Wilson would go on to become Arsenal's goalkeeping coach for a further 28 years.

32. Graham Rix

Timeline: 1975-1988

Arsenal Appearances: 351

Arsenal Goals: 41

Honors: 1979 FA Cup, 1987 League Cup

For a slightly built left-sided player whose Arsenal career was shortened by injuries, Graham Rix was a great success.

Rix was incredibly quick, a fantastic dribbler of the ball and was deceptively powerful despite his frame. His tenacity, honesty, consistency, skill and ability made him the certain choice for club captain at the time. His career was cut short by a series of Achilles tendon injuries, and when George Graham joined the club, he was unfortunately deemed surplus to requirements.

31. Sol Campbell

Timeline: 2001-2006, 2010

Arsenal Appearances: 211

Arsenal Goals: 12

Honors: 2002, 2004 Premier League titles, 2002, 2003, 2005 FA Cups, 2002, 2004 FA Community Shields

Sol Campbell will forever be known as one of Wenger's greatest coup signings. Campbell played for North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur prior to joining the Gunners in 2001. His free transfer to Arsenal was one of the highest profile English league to English league free transfers of all time and was made all the better for Arsenal fans because of who his previous club were.

Campbell went on to become an integral part of Arsenal's side of the early new millennium, and if it were not for injuries, he would have amassed far more games.

Solid, dependable, honest and brave are just a few words to describe Sol.

30. Marc Overmars

Timeline: 1997-2000

Arsenal Appearances: 142

Arsenal Goals: 41

Honors: 1998 Premier League, 1998 FA Cup, 1998 Charity Shield

Has there even been a quicker player at Arsenal than Marc Overmars?

The ex-Ajax winger was Arsene Wenger's first major signing at the club. He was brought in for just £7 million to add speed and dynamism to the Gunners' midfield and to bridge the gap from midfield to attack. Overmars brought everything in spades.

Despite playing only 142 times for Arsenal, Overmars is placed so high because of his incredible skill and contribution to the teams he played in. In 2000, he was sold to Barcelona for £25 million. The sale was a English transfer record at the time.

29. John Radford

Timeline: 1962-1976

Arsenal Appearances: 481

Arsenal Goals: 147

Honors: 1971 League Championship, 1971 FA Cup, 1970 European Fairs Cup

John Radford is another in a great line of great strikers. He played for the Gunners through the Tottenham Hotspur- and Manchester United- dominated era of the 1960s and was one of the most formidable forwards in the game.

After years of knocking on the door without winning anything, Radford got his just rewards in 1971 when he helped lead Arsenal to a historic double. It speaks volumes that during his 16 years with the club that Radford was always the key striker. He linked up with the likes of Joe Baker, George Graham and Ray Kennedy and was happy to provide a foil for his partner.

It is fair to suggest that he would have scored more than his 147, Arsenal's fourth best, had he not been so creative, generous and such a good team player.

28. Frank McLintock

Timeline: 1964-1973

Arsenal Appearances: 403

Arsenal Goals: 32

Honors: 1970-1971 League title, 1971 FA Cup, 1970 European Fairs Cup 

Frank McLintock was the precursor to Tony Adams as a great defender and captain at Arsenal. McLintock was a classy and tough defender during an era where no prisoners were taken in English football.

However, that was not always the case. When McLintock, a Scottish international, was originally signed by the club, he was primarily seen as a wide attacking midfielder. He possessed pace, power and an incredible work rate. However, legendary coach Don Howe converted him into a center-defender and the rest is history.

In midfield, McLintock was erratic and gave as many good performances as bad. But when he moved into defense, he became an iron wall that was almost impossible to beat. Following his conversion, he became the club captain and is fondly remembered by anyone lucky enough to have seen him play.

27. Nigel Winterburn

Timeline: 1987-2000

Arsenal Appearances: 584

Arsenal Goals: 12

Honors: 1989, 1991, 1998 League and Premier League titles, 1993, 1998 FA Cup, 1993 League Cup , 1994 UEFA Cup Winners Cup

Nigel Winterburn enjoyed a stellar career at Arsenal. Like the rest of his famous back line, Martin Keown, David Seaman, Tony Adams and Lee Dixon, he was lucky enough to play under two great managers.

As a defender, Winterburn was a solid pro. He never took chances and made the left-back role look simple. It says much that he played there for 13 successful years. He possessed a superb positional sense, never made a mistake and was the embodiment of reliability. 

26. Pat Rice

Timeline: 1964-1974

Arsenal Appearances: 528

Arsenal Goals: 13

Honors: 1970-1971 League title, 1971 FA Cup, 1970 European Fairs Cup 

There are a few Arsenal players who have gone on to receive legendary status at the club and Pat Rice is one of those. He was a tough, uncompromising right-back that took full advantage of Peter Storey's conversion into midfield giant.

Rice joined the club as an apprentice in 1964 and was not regarded as one of the better players of his day. He did, however, possess an incredible thirst of learning and hard work. When he combined these two attributes together, he became a great player. 

He is a great example of how hard work, honesty and graft will take you far. Rice, never the best player in any of the teams he played in, went on to make over 500 appearances for the club. He then became a coach and first-team assistant manager at the club and held those roles for another 28 years.

25. Lee Dixon

Timeline: 1988-2002

Arsenal Appearances: 619

Arsenal Goals: 28

Honors: 1989, 1991, 1998, 2002 League and Premier League titles, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003 FA Cup, 1993 League Cup, 1994 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Lee Dixon was an incredible servant for Arsenal. He played an unbelievable 619 matches in just 14 years with the club and won every single domestic trophy the game has to offer.

He was rarely injured and was part of the George Graham group of players that Arsene Wenger inherited in 1996. As such, he rarely made a mistake and wasn't afraid to advance to support the attack. It was here that he enjoyed great success at club and international level and is rightly one of the best right-backs of the modern era.

24. Robin Van Persie

Timeline: 2004-2012

Arsenal Appearances: 277

Arsenal Goals: 132

Honors: 2005 FA Cup, 2004 Community Shield

Robin van Persie has been one of the best strikers in the world for the past number of years. The highly skillful Dutchman was prolific at the Gunners. He scored a brilliant 132 goals in 277 games.

However, it was his record over his final four seasons with the club that really stood out. During that particular period, van Persie scored a phenomenal 89 goals in just 144 games. 

There was nothing van Persie could not do as a player with Arsenal. He was strong, quick, possessed unbelievable technique and positional sense and had a perfect eye for goal.

23. Bob John

Timeline: 1922-1937

Arsenal Appearances: 470

Arsenal Goals: 13

Honors: 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935 League Titles, 1930 & 1936 FA Cup Winner 

Bob John is one of the most decorated players in Arsenal history. He was a major part of Herbert Chapman's great team of the 1930s and played some 470 games for the club. Only 10 players have bettered that figure. 

When one considers the way the game was played in the '30s, that figure is simply unbelievable.

John was a brilliant defender and could play at full-back, in the center or at left-half in Chapman's W-M formation. 

22. Freddie Ljungberg

Timeline: 1998-2007

Arsenal Appearances: 328

Arsenal Goals: 72

Honors: 2002, 2004 Premier League, 2002, 2003, 2005 FA Cup, 1999, 2002, 2004 Community Shield

Swedish international, Calvin Klein model, sexiest footballer in the Premier League and all-around great footballer, Freddie Ljungberg spent an unforgettable nine seasons at Arsenal.

The right-sided attacking midfielder was a real creative outlet for Arsene Wenger's side and took up the mantle with gusto following Paul Merson's shocking move to Middlesbrough. Ljungberg had the highly underrated knack of being able to time his runs forward at just the right moment. He was the perfect player to support the likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.

21. Brian Talbot

Timeline: 1979-1985

Arsenal Appearances: 327

Arsenal Goals: 49

Honors: 1979 FA Cup

Brian Talbot was the very foundation that the Arsenal team of the early 1980s were built upon. He was a "water carrier" before they were even invented. A tough, no-nonsense midfielder with an incredible work ethic, Talbot was happy to do the donkey work and allow the likes of Liam Brady and Graham Rix to shine.

Fans of every team love selfless players who will drive themselves into the ground for the cause. Talbot was one such player. If he was around today, Arsenal would surely be a far better team.

20. Cesc Fabregas

Timeline: 2003-2011

Arsenal Appearances: 303

Arsenal Goals: 57

Honors: 2005 FA Cup

Cesc Fabregas joined Arsenal from Barcelona on a free transfer in September 2003. The Spanish midfielder went on to become the youngest player ever to make his competitive debut for the club. That fateful game came just one month into his Arsenal career when he lined out against Rotherham United in the League Cup.

That season, of course, was the year of the Invincibles and it was not until the following year that the youngster became a bona fide first-team squad player. Within a couple of seasons, Fabregas was named captain.

The only trophy he ever lifted at Arsenal was the 2005 FA Cup and it is a crying shame that he went back to Barcelona in 2011 for £30 million having never touched the Premier League title.

The club has produced few players better than Fabregas, and he is easily one of the greatest academy graduates of all time.

19. Kenny Samson

Timeline: 1980-1988

Arsenal Appearances: 394

Arsenal Goals: 6

Honors: 1987 League Cup

Kenny Samson was another in a great line of Arsenal left-backs. Over the years, the club has produced legendary players in that particular position from Eddie Hapgood to Ashley Cole to Nigel Winterburn to Kenny Samson.

Samson was the first truly great left-back at the club in a couple of decades. He was a regular English international despite Arsenal not challenging for trophies during his time at the club.

He wasn't particularly quick, but he was brave in the tackle, a great ball-player, he could read the game well and was never caught out of position. He eventually left the club in 1988 having spent a year with his protege, Nigel Winterburn.

18. Martin Keown

Timeline: 1980-1986. 1993-2004

Arsenal Appearances: 449

Arsenal Goals: 8

Honors: 1998, 2002, 2004 Premier League titles, 1998, 2002, 2003 FA Cup, 1998, 1999, 2002 FA Community Shield, 1994 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

There have been very few players in the game that were tougher than Martin Keown. The English international was teak-tough at the worst of times and damned near impenetrable at the best.

Keown was best know for his partnership with Tony Adams, where he would take up much of the man-marking responsibilities. He was positionally excellent and possessed an innate ability to snuff out danger before it even happened.

17. Ashley Cole

Timeline: 1997-2006

Arsenal Appearances: 228

Arsenal Goals: 9

Honors: 2002, 2004 Premier League titles, 2002, 2003, 2005 FA Cup, 2002, 2004 FA Community Shield

It is no exaggeration to say that Ashley Cole is one of the greatest defenders and players that Arsenal has ever produced.

Cole has been the most dominant left-back in world football since he broke into the Gunners first team in 2001. Blessed with pace, tenacity and a brilliant ability to read the game, Cole is rarely beaten or shown up by his opposite number.

During his nine years with the club, he helped them to a number of major trophies and it is no small coincidence that they have not won anything since he left for Chelsea in 2006.

16. Robert Pires

Timeline: 2000-2006

Arsenal Appearances: 284

Arsenal Goals: 84

Honors: 2002, 2004 Premier League titles, 2002, 2003, 2005 FA Cup, 2002, 2004 FA Community Shield

Robert Pires was another classy Frenchman who was brought to the club by Arsene Wenger. Able to play in center or on the right side of midfield, Pires was one of the most creative players of his generation. Pacy, classy and with an eye for goal, Pires was always a danger regardless of his position on the pitch.

He formed a superb partnership with Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg during the early years of the 2000s and was the real creative force behind much of the team.

15. George Armstrong

Timeline: 1961-1977

Arsenal Appearances: 621

Arsenal Goals: 68

Honors: 1971 League title, 1971 FA Cup, 1970 UEFA Fairs' Cup

George Armstrong is an Arsenal legend through and through.

Built like a pocket battleship, Armstrong was comfortable on either flank and terrorized the opposition during an incredible career. A conventional winger, Armstrong could cross and create with both feet and was the creative force behind an excellent Gunners side in the early 1970s. 

The two greatest mysteries surrounding Armstrong are why he did not win more medals with Arsenal and why Sir Alf Ramsey never gave him a single cap.

Armstrong is third on the Arsenal all-time appearances list behind David O'Leary and Tony Adams.

14. Alan Ball

Timeline: 1971-1976

Arsenal Appearances: 217

Arsenal Goals: 52

Honors: None

Alan Ball was one of the best English midfielders of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The ex-Everton playmaker was sold to Arsenal in 1971 just as the Gunners had won the double. Legend has it that the Englishman heard of his transfer from a taxi driver on the way to training at Everton!

He joined Arsenal in the hope that they were going to dominate having just won the domestic double. However, Leeds United, Derby County and Liverpool would carve the league between them over the next five years.

Ball was a tenacious, ball-winning and ball-playing center midfielder with phenomenal vision who could also play on the right. He was a real players' player and sacrificed much of his game for the greater good, particularly if it meant helping out a younger player.

13. Alex James

Timeline: 1929-1937

Arsenal Appearances: 261

Arsenal Goals: 27

Honors: 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935 League titles, 1930 & 1936 FA Cup

Alex James was one of the most creative players in the world during his playing career. He was blessed with laser-like passing ability, superb vision and a fantastic range of passing. He was also blessed that he had an almost telepathic relationship with Cliff Bastin at outside-left.

James was a midfield dynamo who popped up all over the pitch but who really shined in the final third.

12. David Seaman

Timeline: 1990-2003

Arsenal Appearances: 564

Arsenal Goals: 0

Honors: 1991, 1998, 2002 League & Premier League titles, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003 FA Cup, 1993 League Cup, 1994 UEFA European Cup Winners' Cup.

David Seaman spent 13 unforgettable years with the Gunners. He played a major part in two separate dynasties under George Graham and later, Arsene Wenger.

Capped by England 75 times and having played some 564 games for Arsenal, Seaman is one of the most important players of the 1990s.

He was a superb and dependable goalkeeper and it says much that, even 10 years after leaving the club, Wenger never really replaced him.

11. Charlie George

Timeline: 1969-1975

Arsenal Appearances: 179

Arsenal Goals: 49

Honors: 1971 League Championship, 1971 FA Cup, 1970 European Fairs Cup

Charlie George is most definitely Arsenal's greatest cult figure of all-time. He will forever be known as perhaps the most skillful player the club has ever seen. When he first burst onto the scene, everyone at Arsenal could see that they had a future world star on their hands. 

However, a broken ankle sustained in the opening game of the 1970-71 season hampered his career. He did manage to come back that season and played a pivotal role in winning the double, but the damage had been done.

His career was blighted by injuries, but he still managed to play 179 games in six seasons at the club.

10. Peter Storey

Timeline: 1961-1977

Arsenal Appearances: 501

Arsenal Goals: 

Honors: 1971 League Championship, 1971 FA Cup, 1970 European Fairs Cup

Every football club has its cult heroes, but few are as important as Peter Storey.

Storey spent the great majority of his career at Arsenal. Signing for the Gunners in 1962, he spent an incredible 15 years in North London. During that time, he terrorized teams with some of the most despicable challenges ever seen in Britain.

The tough tackling defender-cum-midfielder was as destructive a force as he was a creative one. And it comes as no surprise to hear him being mentioned as one of the toughest and most feared players of the '70s.

9. Ted Drake

Timeline: 1934-1945

Arsenal Appearances: 184

Arsenal Goals: 139

Honors: 1934, 1935, 1938 League Championships, 1936 FA Cups

Ted Drake is another member of the all-conquering 1930s team. He joined the club in 1934 and was top scorer in each of his five seasons with the club. He even notched up an incredible 42 goals in only his second season.

Drake was the pinnacle of Chapman's W-M formation and benefited from having the likes of Cliff Bastin, Alex James and David Jack provide him with goalscoring chance after goalscoring chance. He was terrifically quick and bull-strong and could play in a variety of styles against a variety of opponents.

However, just as he was reaching his peak when World War II broke out. When Drake returned from the war, he was given the option to return to play but decided to retire from football all together. Whether he could have added to his incredible tally and goals-to-games ratio will forever be an unanswered question.

8. Cliff Bastin

Timeline: 1929-1946

Arsenal Appearances: 396

Arsenal Goals: 178

Honors: 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938 League Championships, 1930, 1936 FA Cups

Cliff Bastin was one of the most prolific forwards ever to grace the game in England. Considering that he did not play as a conventional center-forward, his goalscoring record is all the more remarkable.

Bastin formed superb partnerships with Alex James and David Jack and it speaks volumes that it took until 1987 to break his goalscoring feats.

When you factor in World War II and Bastin not playing for almost six years, one can only imagine what his record could have been. I think it would be safe to say that it might never have been eclipsed.

7. Tony Adams

Timeline: 1983-2002

Arsenal Appearances: 669

Arsenal Goals: 48

Honors: 1989, 1991 1998, 2002, 2004 League & Premier League titles, 1998, 2002, 2003 FA Cup, 1993 1998, 1999, 2002 FA Community Shield, 1987, 1993 League Cup, 1994 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Tony Adams is one of the most loved Arsenal players of all time. A center-half by trade, Adams spent his entire career with the Gunners. The 66-time capped English international was a calming influence on the team and led by great example. 

He made up for his lack of pace and technical ability by reading the game so beautifully and simplistically. He was rarely caught out of position and on his day, he was as good as any defender on the planet.

Adams also scored quite a few goals and was a constant and dangerous threat at the other end of the pitch. He was a perfect leader and was exactly the man that George Graham and Arsene Wenger needed to be successful. Without him, it is debatable whether Arsenal would have been so successful.

6. Patrick Vieira

Timeline: 1996-2005

Arsenal Appearances: 406

Arsenal Goals: 33

Honors: 1998, 2002, 2004 Premier League titles, 2002, 2003 2005 FA Cup, 1998, 2002, 2003 2005 FA Cup, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004 Community Shield

When Arsene Wenger's career is finally resigned to the history books, a number of players will stand out. Patrick Vieira is one of those. A £2.5 million capture from AC Milan in 1996, Vieira was a complete unknown inside English football when he joined.

Within one season, he was rated as one of the best midfielders. Within a couple of seasons, he was one of the best midfielders in the world. Vieira was a tough and uncompromising character on the pitch. His gangling gait made many opponents underestimate him completely. He dominated English football for almost 10 years and could do everything a manager could ask of a midfielder and most importantly, as a captain.

5. Liam Brady

Timeline: 1971-1980

Arsenal Appearances: 307

Arsenal Goals: 59

Honors: 1979 FA Cup

"Chippy" is easily one of the best midfielders the English game has ever produced. Liam Brady began his career with St. Kevin's boys in the North Side of Dublin before Arsenal signed him up in 1971. Once at the Gunners, he learned from the likes of Frank McLintock, Peter Storey and Pat Rice.

Brady was a consummate midfielder with an emphasis on the attacking side of the game. He had an incredible range of passing that is rarely seen today and possessed the skill to put the ball on a sixpence from any distance. He scored his fair share of memorable goals and went on to become perhaps the greatest export to Serie A that English football has ever produced.

4. Ian Wright

Timeline: 1991-1998

Arsenal Appearances: 288

Arsenal Goals: 185

Honors: 1998 Premier League title, 1993 & 1998 FA Cup,  1993 League Cup, 1994 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 

Ian Wright was one of the greatest strikers and characters of his generation. The English international enjoyed a prolific career at club level that never transpired on the international stage. However, he never had the kind of talent at England that he had at his disposal at Arsenal.

Wright was lightning quick and had an almost clairvoyant connection with his midfield. He always seemed to know where the ball was going to go next and when given a chance, he always put the ball away. Wright was a consummate striker. He was capable of scoring any type of goal from a tap-in to a long-distance screamer to the most delicate of lobs to dribbling past a plethora of opponents before tapping into an empty net.

3. Pat Jennings

Timeline: 1977-1984

Arsenal Appearances: 327

Arsenal Goals: 0

Honors: 1979 FA Cup

There are no two ways about it; Pat Jennings is one of the best goalkeepers the world has ever seen. 

Jennings was with Spurs between 1964 and 1977 and was deemed surplus to requirements in 1977. He was allowed to leave the club on a free transfer as the board thought he was finished at the highest level.

Jennings, however, left Spurs for Arsenal and went on to play at an even higher level for the next seven years. Hurt over his treatment at Spurs, Jennings tore into his Arsenal career. He was an amazing goalkeeper of which few have ever been better. 

2. Dennis Bergkamp

Timeline: 1995-2006

Arsenal Appearances: 423

Arsenal Goals: 120

Honors: 1998, 2002, 2004 Premier League titles, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005 FA Cup, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004 FA Community Shield

Bruce Rioch may have signed Dennis Bergkamp, but he will be forever known as an Arsene Wenger player. The Dutchman joined the club in 1995 following an unhappy spell at Inter Milan. His capture was questioned on many fronts as he was deemed too lightweight to play in England.

Bergkamp, however, went on to become a Premier League legend. In over 400 games for the Gunners he won almost everything English football could offer. Lacking pace, he more than made up for this deficiency by being one of the most skillful and astute players ever seen in world football, nevermind in England.

1. Thierry Henry

Timeline: 1999-2007

Arsenal Appearances: 369

Arsenal Goals: 226

Honors: 2002, 2004 Premier League titles, 2002, 2003, 2005 FA Cup, 2002, 2004 FA Community Shield

Arsenal football club has produced a whole host of amazing players over their incredible 127-year history, but none comes close to being as celebrated as Thierry Henry.

The Frenchman is rightly hailed as one of the best players to have ever played the game. He could kick a ball in anger or caress a ball with such precision and delicateness that it would soar into the back of the net as if carried by magic.

During his eight mesmeric seasons with the Gunners, Thierry Henry won every almost domestic trophy available, and only the Champions League and League Cup were denied him while an Arsenal player. 

Henry won the Premier League twice, in 2001–02 and 2003–04, the FA Cup three times, in 2002, 2003 and 2005, and the FA Community Shield twice in 2002 and 2004. In 2006, he finally got to a Champions League final with Arsenal but lost out to Barcelona after Jens Lehman was controversially sent off.

During the same seven-year period, he also enjoyed great success with France on the international stage, winning the European Championships in 2000 and finishing as runner-up in the World Cup in 2006. He also played a major role in France winning the World Cup in 1998.

At an individual level, he won just about every trophy imaginable to add to his record of being Arsenal's top scorer of all time with 226.

In short, Thierry Henry was a phenomenal player. 

However, when he joined Arsenal from Juventus in 1999 for $18 million (£10.5 million), he was considered a massive gamble.

Henry was primarily used as a left-sided forward by Monaco. He played a major role in France's trek to the quarterfinals in the Under-20 World Cup in Malaysia in 1997. One year later and he was a surprise inclusion in the France squad for the World Cup.

The then-20-year-old was superb for Aime Jacquet's team and scored three times in six games as France won the World Cup for the first time. As a result, Juventus signed him and brought him to Serie A.

His stay in Serie A was unpleasant to say the least. Henry played just 16 times for the Old Lady. He was largely ineffective and scored just three goals before he was shipped off as a failure to Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger knew Henry through his scouting network and his connections with Monaco. Le Prof had left the Principality in 1994, the very year Henry signed as a teenager. Le Prof also had experience of high-class players not adapting to Serie A but excelling in the Premier League.

Dennis Bergkamp was a huge star with Ajax and Holland, but he endured a torrid two seasons with Inter Milan where he only scored 11 goals from 52 matches. In 1999, Bergkamp was about to enter the most productive phase of his incredible career, and Wenger needed the perfect foil to achieve this.

In time, Thierry Henry would be the perfect foil for Dennis Bergkamp as Bergkamp would be for Henry.

However, initially, the move to Arsenal proved almost disastrous.

Henry was bereft of confidence after his sojourn in Turin and literally could not hit the side of a barn when he signed. His wayward shooting became something of a joke for even Arsenal fans, and it was no surprise to see the Frenchman score only two goals from his first 17 games.

Wenger was perplexed on what to do with his striker. Henry was his first major signing, and his reputation was on the line with the English media and the Arsenal board. To get the best out of Henry, he decided to change to a counter-attacking-style team. Bergkamp began to drop deep to help in midfield as Henry started taking up a berth closer to the wing.

On the training ground, Arsenal then practiced the same counter-attacking move over and over again, often for hours at a time. Arsenal had one of the most experienced defences in the league and had an incredibly hard-working and swift midfield. Midfield dropped deep to help the defence, Bergkamp dropped into the hole between midfield and attack and Henry began to drift wide.

When this situation arose, each and every Arsenal player were given explicit instructions to find Henry as quickly as possible. In this position, the Frenchman could then use his super pace and superior technique to isolate and exploit defenders before either creating a chance or shooting on goal.

The tactic worked perfectly, and from only scoring twice in his first 17 matches, Henry went on to score 29 goals in his next 30 matches for club and country in the 1999-00 season.

A star had truly been born.

That was his first season with the Gunners, and within a couple of years, he was easily the best striker on the planet. Arsenal's fans and Arsene Wenger had been rewarded for their patience with the youngster; with confidence brimming, he started showing his full incredible array of talents.

Over the coming seasons, Henry went on to show the world what he was capable of. He was a consummate professional on and off the pitch, and it was no surprise to see him go on to captain the club he loved.

Whether he was dribbling with rapier-like speed through a forest of legs, unleashing a thunderbolt from 30 yards or lifting the ball over an advancing 'keeper with the deftest of touches, Thierry Henry could do it all.

He was the catalyst for all that was good about Arsenal after the 1998 league and cup double. Henry inspired the Gunners to the Double-Double in 2002, and who can forget the Invincibles in 2004?

Whilst his achievements are many, Thierry Henry's crowning glory at club level was in guiding Arsenal to the league title in 2004 after going the entire season unbeaten. 

Henry scored a miraculous 39 goals in 51 games in all competitions and claimed the European Golden Boot for being Europe's top goalscorer. He would claim the prize again the following season.

Unluckily, Henry also finished as runner-up for the World Player of the Year award in 2003 and 2004 to Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho, respectively.

When Henry was playing in that famous red shirt with white arms, he played with a certain style, a joie de vivre, if you will. Never without a smile on his face, King Henry had the ability to beat defenders in a multitude of ways. The ultra professional, he never let the occasion get to him and he always led by example on the pitch.

He played in the timeless style of the greats who learned their trade on the back streets. Henry was clever, resourceful, intelligent, deceptively strong, extremely skillful and Olympic-sprinter quick. As a striker, he was the whole package—and above all, he played with a smile on his face that belied the joy all fans want to feel in the men they are supporting.

That love was reciprocal; Henry loved the fans as they loved him.

This unbridled glee to be enjoying his profession whilst playing in a style that was loved by millions, not just Arsenal's fans, is one of the main reasons Henry is loved so much.

Henry was still Arsenal's main striker when he left the club for Barcelona in the summer of 2007. It was a strange time for Gunners fans. The club was obviously on the slide after that Invincible season in 2004, and now their star striker was leaving the sinking ship.

To their credit, Arsenal fans did not protest too much. The intelligent majority recognized Henry's amazing eight-year contribution, and like the song says, "If you love somebody set them free." 

Thierry Henry joined Barcelona on June 23, 2007, and the love affair was officially over. 

In eight glorious years, he had set records and won almost everything. He scored 226 goals in 369 games, including an unbelievable run of five seasons in a row of 30-plus goals. Quite simply, Thierry Henry is the greatest goalscorer the Premier League has ever seen, maybe even English football. He might even be English football's best player of all time.

At Barcelona, he was a moderate success. He showed his style and skill in flashes, but it was nothing like what Arsenal fans had seen. He did win the one trophy that had eluded him. In 2009, Barca hammered Manchester United in what must have seemed like poetic justice for all the millions of Arsenal fans that urged him on.

He lasted one more year at Barca before the MLS came calling. 

By now, his legendary pace had left him, but he was still the ultimate professional. This is the main reason Arsene Wenger came back looking for his old prodigy in January 2012 when Henry signed on for a short-term loan period.

It was the fitting end to a phenomenal love affair with Arsenal fans. The club and Arsene Wenger deserve huge credit for bringing their most celebrated player back in their celebratory 125th season.

He only played in four league games and scored the winning goal in his last game. However, his cameo gave Arsenal's fans the chance to say goodbye and thanks to the man who helped define good football.

In 2011, Arsenal unveiled a statue of the star. Henry, as you would imagine, was moved to tears.

Fighting back the tears he said, "I'm showing emotion right now for the club that I love. I'm more than proud – honoured, privileged," via the Guardian.

Now he knows how Arsenal fans feel about him.

Statistics provided by www.fifa.com, www.soccerbase.com and www.premierleague.com.

You can look me up on Twitter @WillieGannon