Legendary former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira has now had his say on two fellow icons of the North London club.
Patrick Vieira is one of the greatest players to have ever featured for Arsenal.
The Frenchman was at the heart of the Gunners’ team through the most successful period in the club’s history. Between 1996 and 2005, he made over 400 appearances for the club, winning three Premier League titles and and four FA Cups.
He was captain of the club during the 2003/04 season, when Arsenal won the Premier League title without losing a single match. Vieira made 29 appearances in the league over the course of that campaign, and will now forever be remembered as one of the Invincibles. Then-manager Arsene Wenger has since explained why he believed his side to be capable of the feat.
Patrick Vieira stunned by Arsenal icons Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn
Prior to that triumph, Vieira won his first league title in England in 1998, anchoring the Arsenal midfield ahead of an iconic defence made up of long-serving players such as Tony Adams, Steve Bould, and the full-backs, Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn.
Dixon and Winterburn both spent over two decades on the books at Arsenal, playing as right-back and left-back, respectively. They are Arsenal legends who are still adored at the Emirates Stadium to this day.
However, Vieira was taken aback by what the pair would often produce in training. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, the midfielder revealed: “To be honest, I still don’t understand how Nigel and Lee managed to play at that level…what I mean is that, in training they were like 20% of what they were doing at the weekend. When they were training in the week they were having back issues, having knee issues, having ankle issues, so they were always protecting themselves. Coming to the weekend, I was like ‘they can’t play’, but they were amazing.”
Mikel Arteta looking to recreate defensive security of iconic Arsenal team
Dixon and Winterburn were integral figures to the defensive solidity that that Arsenal side’s success was built upon. Mikel Arteta has now built a similarly robust defensive unit at the Emirates Stadium. No side in the Premier League last season conceded fewer goals than the Gunners.
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have been called the best centre-back partnership in the Premier League, whilst Ben White has excelled at right-back. Arsenal are now on the hunt for a new left-back. Finding an ideal fit for that role could take the club one step closer towards winning their first Premier League title since Vieira lifted the trophy in 2004.