Arsenal will always hold a very special place in David O’Leary’s heart.
The former Republic of Ireland international joined us as a 15-year-old and went on to become our record appearance maker, lifting six trophies including the 1989 First Division title at Anfield, and says he will never forget his time in north London.
“I’m approaching 45 years in London, a lot of it around Arsenal,” he told Arsenal Player. “It’s a club that I owe so much to and it’s the club that made me.
“I’ve had a few memorable things like scoring a penalty in the World Cup for Ireland. I’ve been a very lucky person, a lucky player in football, but I think they’d be my two big highlights. To win the league for the first time, to do it the way we did it, was very special indeed.
“I’d waited for it and heard so much growing up with the club, about them going over to White Hart Lane and winning the league there. It felt like the same thing. I’d heard Pat Rice going on about that and, in a nice way, I was thinking, ‘We could shut Ricey up here if we do this’.
“That had that as well. I’d grown up and in those 12 years at the club I was hearing where they’d gone to, and it was nice to put that to bed.”
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