Throughout the Gunners’ illustrious history, legendary names have worn the club’s jersey. Tony Adams, Nigel Winterburn, Sol Campbell, and Ashley Cole are some of the best defenders that have played for Arsenal and England, helping their team win countless titles in the past. Even before Wenger’s Invincibles, Arsenal had been a defender hotbed, with legends such as Kenny Sansom and David O’Leary being part of impenetrable shields at the back.
Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell is arguably one of the best defenders of Wenger’s long Arsenal tenure. The English defender was a rock at the back and a club legend even though he only spent 5 years at Arsenal. His unmatched aerial prowess and his intelligent defensive play have made Campbell a fan-favourite, and he also had a knack for scoring goals as well. If not for Eto and Belleti’s late Barcelona strikes, Sol Campbell’s goal in the 2006 CL Final could have become the stuff of legend.
Campbell was a central part of the Gunners’ impenetrable defence during the Invincibles run when the team won the Premier League with no losses. If he had stayed with Arsenal for the rest of his career, Campbell would probably rank just behind Tony Adams on the list of best Arsenal defenders.
David O’Leary
O’Leary is one of Arsenal’s biggest legends, leading the club in appearances with 772! The Irish centre-back was at Arsenal for the biggest part of his professional career and he was a model for consistency and hard work. Even when the team struggled, he never faltered. As he got older and injuries prevented him from playing so often, he never gave up and worked hard to get back into the side.
David O’Leary won many titles in his illustrious career, and can truly be called a Gunner legend.
Tony Adams
Tony Adams’ name was always going to appear at this list. Dubbed Mr. Arsenal, he’s the best defender in Arsenal’s history, hands down. Unlike football stars today, Adams was an old-school player who spent his whole career leading the back four for the Gunners in good or bad. He was also quite a scorer for a centre-back, bagging 48 goals during his career.
A rock-solid defender, Adams was the first centre-back pick for England up until the end of his career. A vocal leader and hard worker, Tony Adams was always hungry for more. He captained the team during a legendary era and it’ll be time before the Gunners and England see a player of his calibre.
For his incredible feats, Tony Adams was immortalized as a club legend with a statue outside the Emirates Stadium unveiled in 2011.
Kenny Sansom
We could have picked Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn or other Arsenal defenders for this one, but we chose Kenny Sansom as he was one of the best full-backs in Arsenal’s and England’s history. Sansom spent the majority of the 1980s at Arsenal, marauding down the left side of the pitch and constantly menacing opposition attackers.
His time at Arsenal ended a bit on a sour note, and his life after football hasn’t been exactly great as well. Gambling has ruined Sansom’s life post-football, although he was able to get back on his feet. It’s another example of the dangers of gambling – if you’re a regular punter, we suggest you visit this site for great games, but please gamble responsibly.
