I remember talking to Sol Campbell in Colney canteen & he demonstrated how Wenger insisted if players were to drink tea or coffee (milk bad), and if you had to have sugar, there was a Wenger-approved technique of stirring it in to make all the granules absorb. Perfectionist 2/10
Interviewed Wenger once at Hornby’s school for kids with Autism. Wenger argued passionately that society had to appreciate these kids’ unique mind-set, their different intelligence, acute logic and work with computers tackling complex problems. Look inside GCHQ now. 3/10
Wenger always dealt with fans’ interest calmly and with a smile. Walking into the 2010 World Cup final in Soweto, he stopped maybe 60-70 times to accommodate autograph requests. Had to run the last bit to get to TV studio. Always a touch of class about Wenger. 4/10
Only saw Wenger truly well refreshed once, night before a World Cup final, when he encountered 4-5 English journalists in a restaurant well after midnight. “Ah, les Ros-bifs!” he began, and chatted away. Great company. Talks about anything sport to politics. Wry humour too. 5/10
Truly obsessed with football. On his 60th birthday, we urged him after press conf at Colney to have a night off from watching football, go see a show in the West End etc. He wanted to watch a Bundesliga game but promised to put candles on top of the TV to mark his birthday. 6/10
Compassionate man. Arsenal have a link-up with a community affected by Chernobyl & Wenger sends messages/shirts. One Ukrainian girl affected by the fall-out asked to be buried in an Arsenal track top that Wenger & Club had sent because “they were the only ones who cared”. 7/10
Two days before start of this season, Wenger dropped everything to attend an FWA event raising funds for survivors of Grenfell. Spoke passionately about society’s need to protect people better. Did great Q&A. A few WengerOuts in the room and he charmed them with his dignity. 8/10
I spoke to a 25-year-old Arsenal supporter whose parents had separated when he was very young. He said he’d never met Wenger but would always be grateful to Wenger because he was the only stable male figure in his life. Wenger was a constant. 9/10
For a decade, Wenger’s football was glorious, innovative & attacking, and the Invincibles are legends. He let it drift, got overtaken, and surrounded himself with people who didn’t question him enough. Wenger right to go now and he deserves a statue outside the Emirates. 10/10
