When he arrived he was appalled by the club's rented training facilities. The �23m sale of Anelka to Real Madrid in 1999 more than funded the development of the space-age complex at London Colney where the Gunners are now put through their paces.

But today, that investment is overshadowed by the sparkling new stadium Wenger's ambition helped achieve at a cost of �390m.

His passion for the project, allied to the on-pitch success, persuaded the board to take the plunge and help Wenger lead the Gunners into a new era at a 60,000-seat home.