Arsenal’s academy has produced some fine players down the years, but who have been the greatest Arsenal youngsters to pull on the red and white?
A homegrown player donning the red and white and leading the team success evokes no end of pride. Even after the player has left the club, there’s still some fondness attached to them, as if they still represent the club and everything it stands for.
Over the years, the Arsenal academy hasn’t been the most prolific talent factory around, but it has produced some exceptional footballers. Getting the list down to just five was a tough order, and a couple of choices may seem controversial.
Nonetheless, here are my five greatest Arsenal youngsters of all time.
5David Rocastle
Rocastle podcast tribute with exclusive interview
Rocky’s career in an awesome graphic
A life cut tragically short, but a dazzling career with Arsenal.
Rocastle was known as a skillful winger with an eye for the spectacular. He played every game of Arsenal’s successful 1988/89 campaign, when the club won the league title at Anfield on the final day, and won the title for a second time in 1991.
He was the club’s player of the year in 1986, and was included in the PFA Team of the Year twice: first in 1987, then again in 1989.
He left Arsenal in 1992, having made 228 appearances.