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Loyalty is a word that doesn’t seem to exist in the vocabulary of the modern day footballer. It is hard to find a player willing to stick by a team and their fans through thick and thin or vice versa, but there are always exceptions. Here is a look at Arsenal’s most loyal warriors in recent times.
* Considering players only from the time they made their senior-team competitive debuts for Arsenal.
#5 Laurent Koscielny - 7 years and 1 month
Laurent Koscielny was signed by Wenger in 2010 from French side Tours for £8.5 million. The Frenchman was brought in to pair Thomas Vermaelen at the back after defenders Senderos, Gallas and Silvestre had left the club.
Since then the clever centre-back has made over 250 appearances for the North London club and has become the team’s vice-captain.
The French international recently signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2020. Koscielny has stated that Arsenal is a big part of his life; his children were born in London and are true Gooners
Ligue 1 giants Marseille placed a bid for the defender this summer but Koscielny himself rejected the move saying he owes his loyalty to Arsene Wenger. The 32-year-old is still holding onto his dream of winning the Premier League with the Gunners.
#4 Francis Coquelin - 9 years
The second Frenchman on this list, Coquelin signed for Arsenal way back in 2008 after a successful trial with the club. After making his debut for the team, the defensive-midfielder was loaned out to different clubs over the next few seasons to gain more playing time as a first-team footballer.
Most Arsenal fans were bewildered when they heard the 26-year-old had recently penned a new four-and-a-half year contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2021 at £75,000 per week.
Coquelin has only started to impress in Arsenal colours over the last couple seasons. Arsene Wenger has kept his faith in the fierce footballer: “Francis has made tremendous technical strides over the past few years because he’s so focused every day,” said the Arsenal manager after Coquelin signed his new bumper deal.
New Arsenal record-signing Alexandre Lacazette had recently revealed to reporters the influential role his international teammate Coquelin played in bringing him to the Emirates. Some fans even said that this was his greatest contribution to the club but it was all in good humour.
#3 Jack Wilshere - 9 years
A product of Arsenal's youth academy, Jack Wilshere made his senior debut in 2008 just ten days before Coquelin, in a Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers; in doing so he became the youngest ever league debutant for Arsenal at just 16 years and 256 days.
The Englishman has suffered many major injuries throughout his career which has impeded his growth. Wilshere spent last season on loan at Bournemouth after he fell out of favour at the Emirates.
Recently the 25-year-old made his first Arsenal start in 493 days and played well, often pulling the strings for Arsenal against their lower-league opponents Doncaster in the Carabao Cup.
The playmaker was one of the most exciting young prospects in England. Football pundit Charlie Nicholas believes it is going to be very difficult for Wilshere to get back to where he was four or five years ago because of the severity of his injuries but if he can get close to that he would still be worth it to Arsenal.
Former England boss Fabio Capello had said about Wilshere: “This is not normal, to be so young and so good." Hopefully the England international can maintain his fitness level and cement his place in Wenger’s starting line-up this season. He certainly deserves credit for his perseverance, everyone would love to see Wilshere reach his full potential.
#2 Aaron Ramsey - 9 years and 1 month
Aaron Ramsey made his competitive debut for Arsenal in August 2008 against FC Twente in the Champions League third qualifying round. The Welshman chose to sign for Arsenal even though he was being pursued by many top English clubs because of Wenger’s unpretentious approach.
Nicknamed Rambo, Ramsey is a player that always gives his 100% when he steps out onto the pitch. Wenger has described the Arsenal man as “a player with a fantastic engine, good build, good technique and good vision”.
During Arsenal’s 13th FA Cup triumph this year, the 26-year-old covered a distance of 14.4km, averaging a kilometre every 6.25 minutes, an FA Cup final record; not to mention he has scored an FA Cup final winning-goal for Arsenal on two occasions.
Wenger is planning on rewarding the midfielder with a fresh contract by the end of this season, the Arsenal boss is looking to tie down Ramsey to a long-term deal before he runs into the final year of his current contract.
Wenger has even admitted that Ramsey could become the next captain of Arsenal. When asked by ‘The Metro’ whether the Welsh international could be the next captain of the North London club, this is what he had to say:
Why not? It is all there. He has maturity, has improved technically and is more conscious of the importance of his technical qualities. His game is clean. He has a huge physical power. The target for him will be to have 30 games.
Arsenal has not had a captain that has been in the starting line-up consistently since Cesc Fabregas, Ramsey is the quintessential candidate.
#1 Theo Walcott - 11 years and 1 month
Theo Walcott, Arsenal’s faithful servant. He made his debut for the Gunners as a teenager on the first day of the 2006-07 season against Aston Villa. When Walcott signed for the club as a 16-year-old he was potentially brilliant, a lot was expected from the exciting young talent.
Former England footballer Matt Le Tissier believed the pacy forward would go on to be a better player than Wayne Rooney, yet in all honesty, Walcott’s career has been quite mediocre in comparison.
But credit must be given to the 28-year-old who has amassed close to 400 appearances for Arsenal. Only Patrick Vieira has played more times under Arsene Wenger (402). In February 2017 Walcott became the 18th player to score 100 goals for Arsenal.
Now into his 13th season with the gunners, the England international is fighting for a place in the starting line-up. Walcott has averaged only 15 Premier League starts per season for Arsenal since signing for them and now with the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette in this crucial World-Cup season, the lightning-quick footballer will have his work cut out for him.
Walcott did not make the final squad for the previous two World-Cups after being the surprise pick in 2006 but the Arsenal boss has backed Theo for a big season to keep his World-Cup dreams alive.
The winger is going to have to fight his way into Wenger’s starting eleven before he can make it into Gareth Southgate’s England eleven. But one thing is for sure, every Gooner out there is backing Theo Walcott as they have been doing for so many years in the past.
