Mumbai: Arsenal legend Sol Campbell has given credit to Gunners' former manager Arsene Wenger for bringing together a strong squad by getting players to play their own game in his own system and philosophy, as they came up with some brilliant performances and won the Premier League title.
Campbell, who was part of one of the strongest sides coached by Wenger, also talked about the advice he received from the legendary Frenchman, Arsenal’s longest-serving manager.
“The best advice Arsène Wenger gave me was simply to play your game. His system and philosophy were brilliant. He had a system in place and just put players in to play it. He knew how to get the best from players, often extending careers by several years for those who seemed finished both mentally and physically. That ability to resurrect careers was special. He managed to get at least two to four extra years from many players. I completely bought into his philosophy and truly enjoyed playing under his management at Arsenal,” Campbell told JioHotstar on Friday.
Campbell also spoke about how his transfer to the Gunners’ den from Tottenham Hotspur shaped him as a person:
“My lifestyle and environment in East London shaped me completely. Growing up in a family with 11 siblings, without much money, playing street football, these experiences built my character. When the professional move came, I was ready for everything that followed. The truth is, you’re already shaped before you get that big opportunity. If I had a different mentality, I couldn’t have handled that move to Arsenal," he said.
"I'll be honest, I had doubts during the transfer and struggled in the first six months. You feel like you’re not growing, but you are growing as a human being. Because the amount of pressure put on you means you have to grow. You either swim or you are going to sink. I chose to swim and grow to the next level. It wasn’t easy at all and tested me in many ways, making me question many things at that time. But those tough early experiences helped me push through. Challenges like these shape you, help you grow as a person, and teach you how to move forward in life,” he added. IANS
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