Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira was one of the greatest players in the history of the club, and has gone down as a footballing icon.
The Frenchman was successful across a range of clubs, as well as a World Cup winner in a France team which included all-time greats such as Lillian Thuram and Zinedine Zidane.
Vieira played alongside some incredible players during his successful spells at Arsenal, Juventus and Inter Milan, and his time at Highbury was the best of his career as he won three Premier League titles.
The midfielder was the captain of the Invincibles side which won the league undefeated, and he was a star player alongside Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry, who both have statues outside the Emirates Stadium.
However, Vieira had one teammate at Arsenal who he now claims was truly unique, and it was neither of these two legendary Gunners.
Patrick Vieira praises Arsenal legend Ian Wright
Vieira won the Premier League in 1997-98, which was both his and Arsene Wenger’s first full season at the club, whilst it was also striker Ian Wright’s last.
Wright recently admitted that a roller-skating incident helped bring his Arsenal career to an end as Wenger was furious with his antics, but Vieira has now praised his former teammate’s character on the Stick To Football Podcast.
“He was crazy. He was something that I had never seen before,” Vieira stated of Wright.
“(He had a) different character, personality. Every club that I went to, I never met somebody like him.
“Good things, yeah good things,” Vieira replied when asked whether Wright was memorable in a positive or negative light.
Patrick Vieira played alongside some incredible strikers in his career
Wright may sometimes go under the radar for club and country given that he starred in a period where Alan Shearer was upfront for England, and he was ultimately eclipsed for goals by Henry at Arsenal.
However, it is a testament to his true quality that Vieira thinks so highly of him despite playing alongside some other incredible strikers throughout his career.
Nicolas Anelka helped Arsenal win the title in 1998 as a young sensation who took the Premier League by storm, whilst Nwankwo Kanu was also an outstanding attacker during Vieira’s successful spell at Highbury.
At Juventus, Vieira played alongside legends including Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet, and he featured in strong France squads alongside ex-Arsenal star Sylvain Wiltord and Florent Malouda.
READ MORE: Dennis Bergkamp’s best-ever Arsenal teammate
In his time at Inter Milan, Vieira played alongside stars including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Adriano. A lot of these players were famed for their pure quality or character, but Wright had an excellent mix of both as a deadly striker and a figure that his teammates and fans adored.