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Arsene Wenger may be seen as a stubborn manager but that characteristic is precisely what makes him persistent in trusting some of the players whom he knew had exceptional talent. The Frenchman had uncovered many gems throughout his managerial career in London and some of them went on to build an illustrious football career such as the likes of Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.
With his vast experience, he knew what it took to develop a player and make him even better. Nevertheless, not everyone succeeded under Wenger due to various reasons. Some of the players, who were expected to be the best in the team and in the country, did not quite make it because of their injuries.
As much as Wenger tried hard to include them back into the team and utilise their strengths, their injuries simply limited their potential. Here is a look at three such players for the Gunners.
#3 Abou Diaby
One could say that fans and Wenger knew the potential that Abou Diaby had because they had seen what he can do when he is on the pitch. However, after an ankle injury, the midfielder never stopped having recurrent injuries. At last, he decided to hang up his boots earlier this year.
When Diaby announced his retirement, Wenger paid triubute to the player. Diaby was great in his ball interceptions and passing. Standing at a height of 1.91m, he was also exceptional in aerial duels. His many injuries restricted him to the treatment room for the majority of his career. But many players know what a great talent he could have been. His former international team-mate, Paul Pogba, had also claimed that Diaby was better than him.
For many years, Wenger lacked midfielders who could dominate in the centre of the field, hold onto the ball while others advance and had the strength to push forward. Diaby was the player who could do all those, yet he was unable to play. It is a real pity that his career had ended up in such a state after the injury while playing against Sunderland. Surely if he had fully recovered from it, he would have been able to play a huge role in Arsenal and for the France national team.
#2 Jack Wilshere
Wilshere was one of Wenger's most trusted players. Whenever fit, the Englishman was a sureshot to make it into the starting eleven. Last season, he played 40 matches in all competitions. It was the most number of matches he has played in the last five seasons. After the end of the 2013/14 season, Wilshere had never played more than 30 games each season.
Similar to Diaby, the 27-year-old has suffered numerous injuries throughout his career. He spent the majority of his youth career training with Arsenal's youth academy and gradually moved up the ranks. In 2008, he made his first team debut at the age of 16. Subsequently, he made his international debut for the Three Lions back in 2010 at the age of 18. Everyone had great expectations of him, but he never quite made it.
The midfielder is strong and has a keen eye for key passes. During his years with the Gunners, he has scored some wonderful and powerful goals, and also produce numerous assists for his team-mates. Previously, Wenger had tipped him to be Arsenal's captain after Per Mertesacker's retirement. He displayed leadership skills at the heart of all the attacking action and had the experience. However, Wilshere failed to renew his contract with the club.
Now over at West Ham, his first season with the club has yet again been filled with weeks on the treatment table. At one point, it was rumoured at his season could be over following an ankle injury. Manuel Pellegrini has since given an update that the former Arsenal man could be due for a return.
#1 Theo Walcott
Theo Walcott spent more than 10 years of his career with the Gunners. at the age of 17, he made his first appearance for the England national team. Everyone would have thought that he was bound for stardom. Unfortunately, that was all a dream.
Hampered by injuries, his 12 years at the club saw him make only 399 appearances for the team in all competitions. The forward was one of the fastest in the English Premier League and feared by many defenders who are unable to keep up with his pace.
Many a times, Walcott's finishing let him and his team down. As a forward, he scored only 108 goals during his time with the North London club. Many say that too much was expected for the Englishman and perhaps this was the best that he could have done. If he did not suffer all the knee and ankle injuries, he probably could have played more games and performed consistently.
