Arsene Wenger told the press a month ago that at his club, Arsenal, they don’t buy superstars, they make them.
The canny manager has served both the financial and football needs of his team by establishing – relatively cheaply - a kind of factory for brilliant young footballers. Two of his newest products, "Cesc" Fàbregas and Theo Walcott, have come off the conveyer belt and into the world of top-class football with consummate ease and distinction.
Fàbregas
Indeed Fàbregas, who turned 20 five months ago, has established himself as a kingpin of the side, connecting attack with defence and controlling the game to an extent that is remarkable for a player of any age. He is also no slouch at scoring goals. His tally so far this season is into double figures and on Sunday the 28th he scored the equaliser against Liverpool in typical deft and match-saving fashion.
Walcott
Walcott has been in the public eye for some time. When he was only 17 he was selected to join England’s international training camp during the 2006 World Cup. He had not yet played a first class club game. Amidst a blaze of publicity, Walcott was brought into the World Cup squad, but not the team. He wasn’t selected for any of the matches and quietly went back to Arsenal’s Highbury headquarters. Now he is 18 and has shown that some of the hype was justified with two goals against Slavia Prague on Tuesday the 23rd October.
Thierry Henry
In fact, because Wenger changed young Walcott’s position from winger to striker, much was made of the fact that Walcott was following in the footsteps of Thierry Henry, one of Arsenal’s legends. Walcott is his own man, but Arsenal fans can’t be blamed for wanting a world class striker to replace Henry, who left, during the summer, to play for Real Madrid in Spain.
Barcelona to Arsenal
Fàbregas comes from Spain. Young as he is, he already plays for the Spanish national team, but he was originally at Barcelona – Real Madrid’s rival club. He is Catalonian. He was born Arenys de Mar on May 4, 1987 and his full name is Francesc Fàbregas Soler. "Cesc" is a nickname.
Arsene Wenger had the prescience to bring young Fàbregas from Barcelona to Arsenal in 2003, since when Cesc has steadily improved over the seasons. His passing ability, his instinct for the game and his capacity to surprise have already earned him the highest praise from spectators and the media. On the field his value is evident in the frequency with which he is called upon to take free kicks and corners.
Near Wembley
Theo James Walcott was born on the 16th of March 1989 in Stanmore, an area of London that is relatively near to Wembley Stadium, the home of English - some would say world – football. He spent much of his boyhood in the small village of Compton on the Berkshire downs. He played for Newbury, Swindon and the rather more exalted Southampton, before joining Arsenal in 2006.
Gunners
Arsenal’s players are called ‘The Gunners’, because of a traditional connection with weaponry. Inevitably, the new players shooting onto the scene are being called ‘the young guns’. Arsene Wenger has a veritable armoury of them. Anelka, Clichy and Diaby have already made their presence felt. Barazite, Gibbs, Lansbury, Merida, Sunu and Vela are all ready for Wenger to pull the trigger.
Money
All of them, like Fàbregas and Walcott were inexpensive to buy.
As for Arsene Wenger’s gift for spotting potential football greats – that’s priceless.
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