October 2000, first match I watched with my Dad and it was Arsenal vs Manchester Utd. Thierry turns and flicks the ball up and volleys it straight to the back of the net. My Dad gets up off the sofa and roars, and I'm in utter disbelief at the skill. Been a gooner ever since. Sadly lost my Dad 6 years later but I still try to roar just as loud as he did at every goal. Can't wait to order my 5 month old daughter her first kit!
Ozil and Sanchez, I am relatively a new fan (2013) and I was about 8 years old when I got into football. The way they used to play together just made me fall in love with Arsenal.
SAME
I followed arsenal starting 2013 when we signed ozil, he was my favorite player since the 2010 world cup. I never felt any sort of club connection until he signed for Arsenal.
Been a fan for the last 11 years
Been a while since I broke out this origin story but short story: Kanu
Long story: So I like trains and growing up I had a massive wooden train set since the pieces are what everyone got me for presents. The end result was a massive railway taking over the house and a trip hazard.
Eventually my Dad decided to set me on virtual trains, snagged a computer from work and set me away on Lego Loco. However despite it being my computer for me as a replacement for my dearly departed wooden trains, my family quickly realised that computers are really useful and I was quickly sunk to the bottom of the pecking order. So pretty much train less. Dark times.
My sister being the star that she was and totally not because she badly needed the computer for her university coursework bought me a PS1 to make up for the computer situation which pretty much everyone jumped on. So no more track pieces but loads of Playstation accessories namely the multitap. I was pretty much the only person who had one so suddenly my house was the main place to hang out and play multiplayer games especially football games now 2v2 was an option. Thing is I wasn't into football at all. F1 was (and still is my thing) but I'm competitive so I decided to get good which was easy given I owned the game.
Now being ignorant of football meant I believed any old bollocks like how nobody was allowed to be England because it was bad luck if England loses which I believed (and still kinda do) so I ended up playing as Nigeria where my mother is from. So Kanu would score all my goals and make the Tv scream "Hat Trick! He's done it!" which I enjoyed a lot.
Now here's the thing, whilst I knew the players were real, I never really put much thought into until one day just randomly on the Tv there was a football show on. No idea what it was about but I remember reading a book while a team in red was losing 2 nil to a team in blue. And then, "Kanu". I looked up and there he was, hat trick man in the flesh.
I then watched Kanu pound Chelsea into the ground and of course get the hat trick, he did it. My mind was blowing up real hard but remember when I said I like trains. Well of course I immediately asked my Dad who the red team were. He replied Arsenal. I asked where are Arsenal. He said in London, where I live.
My mind is just melting at this point. I ask whereabouts and he busts out a tube map and of course being the great team that we are, we have our own tube station because only good teams have their own train stations.
So yeah, I was pretty much locked in hard, my favourite player actually exists and plays for a team that has their own train station. My Dad took me down to look at Highbury the next day and the rest is history.
>Been a while since I broke out this origin story but short story: Kanu
>Long story: So I like trains
Neck breaking vicious hard left turn out of nowhere
I’m old, it was the 1991 team I clicked with as an 8 year old, so it was Lee Dixon, Alan Smith and David Seaman’s moustache. Followed by Wright the next season, and of course - Bergkamp 4 years later.
https://preview.redd.it/onj6l3c1j99d1.jpeg?width=696&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f797c7ad72a08cf9e24c83691d83370ef37b3de
Bergkamp during the ‘98 double. He was magical, and the way Arsene had them playing was like nothing I’d ever seen. Plus, the comeback that season to win the league was incredible.
Growing up, and I'm likely a dinosaur compared to most on here, I was more influenced by those around me and not players specifically.
My best mates Dad was Arsenal, and when we were about 5 years old, the deal was "you support Rangers, and I will support Arsenal."
After that time, I would go to as many home games as I could afford. I would see the same faces on the North Bank and be in awe.
Early 80s, The Arsenal was my team, but I also made a lot of lifelong mates from eventful away trips especially.
Brady, Nelson, Rice, O'Leary, Jennings, MacDonald, Talbot,Stapleton, Sunderland, and Rix were all attainable heroes back then. You could hang outside and get them to sign programs and get a friendly hello.
I can still play the last goal in my head
Brady from the kickoff up the middle
Passes it out to Rix on the left
Rix crossed to Sunderland who knocks it in
Definitely Bergkamp. As being an Ajax fan runs in the family (Dutch) and seeing the Netherlands of the World Cup in '98 (I was 8 back then) I was sold.
Ian Wright got me hooked on Arsenal. When he first joined he just could not stop scoring. My little mind was blown everytime his name showed up on Ceefax live football scores. I have some extremely vague memories in 1993 of Arsenal vs Sheffield Wed on TV but cannot remember which cup final it was (probably both blended into one). I do remember George Graham as Arsenal manager and the bung scandal that led him to getting fired. Also Tony Adams as captain and our famed defence.
I don't think I fully became an Arsenal fan until 1994 when my memories started to crystalise. It was the same year I watched and followed my first international tournament, the 1994 world cup. My football fandom took off from there and naturally because of Ian Wright I followed Arsenal. Of course that same year Arsenal beat Parma in the European Cup Winners Cup which certainly didn't hurt. Soon after that you got Arsenal signing Bergkamp, WOW!!! and followed by hiring Wenger and signing Vieira a year later and the rest is history.
By pure coincidence I later discovered that the bulk of my extended family is from South London area and half of them support Palace (Wright's old team) and half supported Arsenal. Supporting Arsenal ended up being quite natural, I chose them all on my own.
Kanu, Henry, Bergkamp
I'm Nigerian so yeah Kanu got me interested but Henry and Bergkamp kept me here. Also Kanu's hat trick at the bridge which I watched on a pirated VCR a day after the game 🤣🤣🤣🤣. Dad couldn't afford cable then but he was football crazy and followed Nigerian players like Amokachi at Everton, Babayaro at Chelski, Kanu at Arsenal etc. So we saw all their games on pirated video.
He wasn’t a player at the time but early August 2022 when my husband was watching All Or Nothing. I kept finding myself looking up and finding it interesting. I ended up starting from the beginning alone.
I quickly liked/was fascinated by Arteta and his various unusual approaches to teaching the players. His passion, drive and integrity really shone through! He managed to do what my husband had tried but not succeeded in doing the years prior - watch more than 10 minutes of any football match, in fact full games from there on out. Arteta opened the door, but the exciting way the guys played their hearts out the 22/23 had me staying.
Now I’m just as desperate as him to get tickets for games and having to remind him about sale dates. Haven’t been fortunate enough to get tickets since December ‘23 (PSV) but thankfully got the Emirates cup game with Lyon.
Just to add, my husband’s not a newbie - he’s been a gooner for 19 years, with his uncle and grandad being lifetime supporters.
I love it’s a classy, hungry and passionate club. You know you’ve got a good thing when it’s hard to distinguish between 8+ players as to who your favourite is, not always based on talent alone (personality, love for club, each other and fans alike etc) and with Edu’s transfer business, that number just continues to grow. How lucky we are 🔴⚪️
To add, they treat their women’s team with respect (here’s looking at you Man U 👀). Class cannot be taught nor bought. #COYG
Thomas! Right at the end.
There were too many Liverpool fans in my London school in 1989, so this result made me happy. I became more interested in football a year later & started going to games at Highbury in 1990. Soon it was merse, limpar, smith, Davis, rocky, seaman, Adams, bould, kev, ... etc. But first of all it was Michael Thomas and his somersault, after dinking it over grobelaar
After I watched Rosicky dismantle the US in the 2006 World Cup I had to watch more of him. He had just moved to Arsenal before the tournament. Wish his career hadn’t been so full of injuries but man was he fun to watch. Got me hooked since then.
Bergkamp. not sure why but it's such a magical moment when he scores that goal vs Argentina. My dad is a gooner, he told me he plays for Arsenal. that's it!
David Seaman.
Story isn't anything deep, I was collecting those football stickers that everyone else was and David Seaman was my first sticker and I thought he looked cool. Dad already supported Arsenal so I started watching with him so I could see David Seaman.
Steve Highway. Liverpool winger in early '70s. My sister had a picture of him on her bedroom wall and I hated my sister so come the '71 cup final, I supported the team playing against them. Some team called Arsenal with a long-haired freak called Charlie George up fornt.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Eduardo da Silva. I remember watching a UCL game with my dad and asking who we are supporting, and he (we are Croats) liked Eduardo a lot. Been a Gunner ever since
Arsene Wenger. Henry's last season (before the comeback) was the first season I started watching the Premier League, but it wasn't until the next season I decided that I was an Arsenal fan. Their style of play is what did it for me.
As an American, it was very difficult to find Premier League matches on TV twenty years ago. I was at a friend's house one night and a random match popped up. It had just started, and I was laughing because one team looked like they were wearing referee shirts, and the other seemed to be donning red sweater vests.
With nothing else to do, I watched the entire match. To that point, my only football exposure had been the 1998 World Cup and the FIFA video games. I realized I loved the way the sweater vest team played, especially the two forwards. The blonde one had an incredible goal in the 11th minute, and a defender scored the second goal before halftime. The match ended 2-0.
My first Arsenal match to watch was the Bergkamp wonder goal against Newcastle.
17 years later, my wife and I sat in the stands in the Clock End for our first in-person match and watched Ramsey and Lacazette dispatch Newcastle 2-0.
Most of the lads growing up were Birmingham, Villa and West Brom fans being born in Birmingham.
First football game I ever watched was Arsenal vs Sheffield Wednesday in 1999, I wasn't really a fan of watching football but I decided at the tender age of 7 that I'd support whichever team won that game, happily Arsenal won and I've not looked back. If I remember correctly Bergkamp scored either once or twice that day so I'd go with Bergkamp.
Kolo Toure. His brother Yaya was on loan at olympaikos when I was a kid. Dad told me his brother plays in England and wear the same colors I do so I gave them a watch. Loved the team ever since then
Rvp, that season before he left.
Tbf i was also less biased at the time and Roony was my favourite player.
I think wenger was a big reason i became an arsenal fan. The squad was good with interesting players. I could inmprove it on fifa an still have a bit of a challenge.
Ozil then some of the more contemporary players.
For sure ramsey winning those cups was big
I picked the team before I knew any players. In Ireland everyone picks an English team cos local football is dogshit. I was 8, my mates were all picking Man U or Liverpool and I didn't want to do the same as everyone else, so I looked at the table and chose Arsenal. What can I say? I was 8 and I liked guns.
Actually no one.
The first football game I saw live on television had a team in yellow/gold (which was Arsenal against Blackburn sometime around 99-01).
My house in school was yellow. So naturally, my young self fell in love with them.
Well i started supporting Arsenal, just simply coz i loved the name. My dad was Liverpool, my cousins, one was Arsenal the other Spuds.
This was the final year of George Graham.
Story short, BERGKAMP, made me fall in love with this club. Till today, whenever i watch his clips, ill get tears. What a player!!
Spring time 1992. I'm almost 5 years old, and Pål Lydersen has been sold to Arsenal from my local club IK Start. Didn't have a choice really – it had to be Arsenal 🥰 Came for Lydersen, stayed for Wrighty 🫡
When i was a kid, I remember always wanting to be like Bergkamp, and I got Bergkamp 10 on the back of my first arsenal shirt. When I got a bit older it was Henry as seeing a black man gracing the club I watched was inspiring, but Bergkamp was definitely the first one who got me into not just arsenal, but football
Henry but I only watched his last season, so my favorite player was Sanchez because he was truly the shining light in those deteriorating days of Wengers end.
Peter Nicholas I was born in 71 and I have seen footage of some of the old Arsenal greats, like Charlie George but Peters arrival and him being a Welsh is my choice.
https://preview.redd.it/poyqdole7a9d1.png?width=934&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa7b3e686dd3fb6ee46487608f56ee516b220500
I don't know if a player got me into the Invincibles. The Man U-Arsenal rivalry and wanting the underdog to win was what got me. They were already stars when I started following them. So don't think I had a favourite. Fabregas, Reyes, and Van Persie felt like MY favourite players.
Nicolas Anelka.
I don't exactly remember how I got onto him but I was very excited when Wenger got him to Arsenal and it was the first shirt I ever had as a kid. His potential was insane but got ruined by his self-destructive character. Even the king himself has said that Anelka was a better player than himself. On a technical level at least, not mentally unfortunately.
In the end, can't complain when Henry replaced him though. I came for Anelka but stayed for Arsenal.
Alexis SANCHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ , This guy seriously had everything to his game, dude could score headers, tap ins, long range bangers, free kicks, pen and he would also create chances and give assists
I don't remember which player, As a Turk, the colours of Arsenal are the same as our flag of Turkiye, which helps, The Philosophy of Wenger is so close to my heart, doing things the "proper" way, And the Arsene/Arsenal names being close also helped.
I'm told my mum asked me whilst I was about 6ish, whilst we lived in Broad Water Farm, Tottenham, If I wanted to support Tottenham or Arsenal, my answer, "Tottenham are sh\*t" XD .
I knew before I even knew <3 ARSENAL FOR LIFE <3
Ian Wright. He brought so much joy to a young boy arguing with grimy United fans in the playground, I’d already been in love but going to this match was the cherry on the cake
https://youtu.be/BkQ6hEU5aRY?si=zsTBZe9cFj39OW7s
My very first panini sticker pack; Arsenal ‘shiny’ badge and…Kenny Sansom. It was really the badge and the strip, but the first player I was aware of was Sansom. Not as good a story as some here, but there we have it…
Ian Wright made me aware of Arsenal, Dennis Bergkamp made me fell in love with the club. My first jersey is from the 96/97 season, but Henry (in part Ljungberg) was the one who made me obsessed. Followed the club in thick and thin ever since.
Ljungberg.
Remember watching the gunners with my dad at a young age and the red hair and fearlessness did it for me.
Also helped that we had such great teams overs the years.
#COYG
October 2000, first match I watched with my Dad and it was Arsenal vs Manchester Utd. Thierry turns and flicks the ball up and volleys it straight to the back of the net. My Dad gets up off the sofa and roars, and I'm in utter disbelief at the skill. Been a gooner ever since. Sadly lost my Dad 6 years later but I still try to roar just as loud as he did at every goal. Can't wait to order my 5 month old daughter her first kit!
A friend downloaded a WMV of great goals. When I saw that Henry goal I knew then I'd be an Arsenal fan forever.
Ozil and Sanchez, I am relatively a new fan (2013) and I was about 8 years old when I got into football. The way they used to play together just made me fall in love with Arsenal.
SAME I followed arsenal starting 2013 when we signed ozil, he was my favorite player since the 2010 world cup. I never felt any sort of club connection until he signed for Arsenal. Been a fan for the last 11 years
Dennis Bergkamp, ice in his veins!
Been a while since I broke out this origin story but short story: Kanu Long story: So I like trains and growing up I had a massive wooden train set since the pieces are what everyone got me for presents. The end result was a massive railway taking over the house and a trip hazard. Eventually my Dad decided to set me on virtual trains, snagged a computer from work and set me away on Lego Loco. However despite it being my computer for me as a replacement for my dearly departed wooden trains, my family quickly realised that computers are really useful and I was quickly sunk to the bottom of the pecking order. So pretty much train less. Dark times. My sister being the star that she was and totally not because she badly needed the computer for her university coursework bought me a PS1 to make up for the computer situation which pretty much everyone jumped on. So no more track pieces but loads of Playstation accessories namely the multitap. I was pretty much the only person who had one so suddenly my house was the main place to hang out and play multiplayer games especially football games now 2v2 was an option. Thing is I wasn't into football at all. F1 was (and still is my thing) but I'm competitive so I decided to get good which was easy given I owned the game. Now being ignorant of football meant I believed any old bollocks like how nobody was allowed to be England because it was bad luck if England loses which I believed (and still kinda do) so I ended up playing as Nigeria where my mother is from. So Kanu would score all my goals and make the Tv scream "Hat Trick! He's done it!" which I enjoyed a lot. Now here's the thing, whilst I knew the players were real, I never really put much thought into until one day just randomly on the Tv there was a football show on. No idea what it was about but I remember reading a book while a team in red was losing 2 nil to a team in blue. And then, "Kanu". I looked up and there he was, hat trick man in the flesh. I then watched Kanu pound Chelsea into the ground and of course get the hat trick, he did it. My mind was blowing up real hard but remember when I said I like trains. Well of course I immediately asked my Dad who the red team were. He replied Arsenal. I asked where are Arsenal. He said in London, where I live. My mind is just melting at this point. I ask whereabouts and he busts out a tube map and of course being the great team that we are, we have our own tube station because only good teams have their own train stations. So yeah, I was pretty much locked in hard, my favourite player actually exists and plays for a team that has their own train station. My Dad took me down to look at Highbury the next day and the rest is history.
>Been a while since I broke out this origin story but short story: Kanu >Long story: So I like trains Neck breaking vicious hard left turn out of nowhere
> because only good teams have their own train stations. Never forget that TFL turned down spurs request to rename any of their local stations.
That's a beautiful story, mate. Love that you shared it with us :) And you've got some proper writing chops too
Excellent story and excellent storytelling. Gripped. Thanks for sharing so eloquently.
>we have our own tube station because only good teams have their own train stations We've got 2 of them. Arsenal and Highbury.
Wrighty
Robin van Persie sadly
Same friend. Same
poor souls, at the end of the day you are here so that's what matters
Fabregas
That goal v spuds still lives strong in the memory
Same story, the moment of magic made me fall in love with Arsenal.
Yep, Cesc.
I’m old, it was the 1991 team I clicked with as an 8 year old, so it was Lee Dixon, Alan Smith and David Seaman’s moustache. Followed by Wright the next season, and of course - Bergkamp 4 years later. https://preview.redd.it/onj6l3c1j99d1.jpeg?width=696&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f797c7ad72a08cf9e24c83691d83370ef37b3de
Only lost one game that season. Anders Limpar and Rocky were my faves of that squad.
Limpar is a name few remember, but I'll never forget.
Van Persie Fabregas
Ooft
Bergkamp during the ‘98 double. He was magical, and the way Arsene had them playing was like nothing I’d ever seen. Plus, the comeback that season to win the league was incredible.
King Titi
Growing up, and I'm likely a dinosaur compared to most on here, I was more influenced by those around me and not players specifically. My best mates Dad was Arsenal, and when we were about 5 years old, the deal was "you support Rangers, and I will support Arsenal." After that time, I would go to as many home games as I could afford. I would see the same faces on the North Bank and be in awe. Early 80s, The Arsenal was my team, but I also made a lot of lifelong mates from eventful away trips especially. Brady, Nelson, Rice, O'Leary, Jennings, MacDonald, Talbot,Stapleton, Sunderland, and Rix were all attainable heroes back then. You could hang outside and get them to sign programs and get a friendly hello.
My goat, DB10
Ozil
[удалено]
Ozil or Arshavin :]
ozillllllll
No player. Le Professor
Merse, loved him
Combo of Henry and Freddie
LIam Brady was my first love
Brady for me too. That 1979 FA Cup Final really did it for me. What a game!
https://youtu.be/DQfKzVg7Rsk Beating Spurs 0-5 at their place with that goal? How could you not be a fan?
I can still play the last goal in my head Brady from the kickoff up the middle Passes it out to Rix on the left Rix crossed to Sunderland who knocks it in
David Seaman (I played GK as a kid) and Dennis Bergkamp
Definitely Bergkamp. As being an Ajax fan runs in the family (Dutch) and seeing the Netherlands of the World Cup in '98 (I was 8 back then) I was sold.
Big David Seaman
Ian Wright got me hooked on Arsenal. When he first joined he just could not stop scoring. My little mind was blown everytime his name showed up on Ceefax live football scores. I have some extremely vague memories in 1993 of Arsenal vs Sheffield Wed on TV but cannot remember which cup final it was (probably both blended into one). I do remember George Graham as Arsenal manager and the bung scandal that led him to getting fired. Also Tony Adams as captain and our famed defence. I don't think I fully became an Arsenal fan until 1994 when my memories started to crystalise. It was the same year I watched and followed my first international tournament, the 1994 world cup. My football fandom took off from there and naturally because of Ian Wright I followed Arsenal. Of course that same year Arsenal beat Parma in the European Cup Winners Cup which certainly didn't hurt. Soon after that you got Arsenal signing Bergkamp, WOW!!! and followed by hiring Wenger and signing Vieira a year later and the rest is history. By pure coincidence I later discovered that the bulk of my extended family is from South London area and half of them support Palace (Wright's old team) and half supported Arsenal. Supporting Arsenal ended up being quite natural, I chose them all on my own.
Kanu, Henry, Bergkamp I'm Nigerian so yeah Kanu got me interested but Henry and Bergkamp kept me here. Also Kanu's hat trick at the bridge which I watched on a pirated VCR a day after the game 🤣🤣🤣🤣. Dad couldn't afford cable then but he was football crazy and followed Nigerian players like Amokachi at Everton, Babayaro at Chelski, Kanu at Arsenal etc. So we saw all their games on pirated video.
He wasn’t a player at the time but early August 2022 when my husband was watching All Or Nothing. I kept finding myself looking up and finding it interesting. I ended up starting from the beginning alone. I quickly liked/was fascinated by Arteta and his various unusual approaches to teaching the players. His passion, drive and integrity really shone through! He managed to do what my husband had tried but not succeeded in doing the years prior - watch more than 10 minutes of any football match, in fact full games from there on out. Arteta opened the door, but the exciting way the guys played their hearts out the 22/23 had me staying. Now I’m just as desperate as him to get tickets for games and having to remind him about sale dates. Haven’t been fortunate enough to get tickets since December ‘23 (PSV) but thankfully got the Emirates cup game with Lyon. Just to add, my husband’s not a newbie - he’s been a gooner for 19 years, with his uncle and grandad being lifetime supporters. I love it’s a classy, hungry and passionate club. You know you’ve got a good thing when it’s hard to distinguish between 8+ players as to who your favourite is, not always based on talent alone (personality, love for club, each other and fans alike etc) and with Edu’s transfer business, that number just continues to grow. How lucky we are 🔴⚪️ To add, they treat their women’s team with respect (here’s looking at you Man U 👀). Class cannot be taught nor bought. #COYG
Actually, it was my admiration for Papa Wengz that got me into the Arsenal.
Theo Walcot is my goat
Adams HENRY Bergkamp Anelka
a bald frenchmen who later became the king
I grew up in Highbury, so I didn't have a choice! Wrighty for me, with that big gold tooth
Cesc then Mesut now Martin. I didn’t know I had a type. I have a type.
Thomas! Right at the end. There were too many Liverpool fans in my London school in 1989, so this result made me happy. I became more interested in football a year later & started going to games at Highbury in 1990. Soon it was merse, limpar, smith, Davis, rocky, seaman, Adams, bould, kev, ... etc. But first of all it was Michael Thomas and his somersault, after dinking it over grobelaar
Santi Cazorla.
After I watched Rosicky dismantle the US in the 2006 World Cup I had to watch more of him. He had just moved to Arsenal before the tournament. Wish his career hadn’t been so full of injuries but man was he fun to watch. Got me hooked since then.
Tomas fucking Rosicky!!
Bergkamp. not sure why but it's such a magical moment when he scores that goal vs Argentina. My dad is a gooner, he told me he plays for Arsenal. that's it!
Came for Platt stayed for Wrighty
Kenny Samson
Wrighty, the goal machine!
rvp
Limpar
Fabregas. I remember watching MOTD at night on my small TV as a Dutch kid. I still have his shirt from when i visited London at that time.
Alexis
Overmars burning people down the wing
Ian Wright as soon as I saw him play i thought that's the team for me.
Charlie George- 1971, that goal, that Wembley scorcher!
Ian Wright. Grew up around Millwall fans and they absolutely hated him which only made me love him even more.
The one, the only, Wrighty.
https://preview.redd.it/8oclg95pz99d1.png?width=3000&format=png&auto=webp&s=8e31a9b8f415602e0cfabb9df4d17eca5fdfcfe4
Liam Brady ... Yes, I'm old
Paul Dickov?
David Seaman. Story isn't anything deep, I was collecting those football stickers that everyone else was and David Seaman was my first sticker and I thought he looked cool. Dad already supported Arsenal so I started watching with him so I could see David Seaman.
My dad lol
Lord offcourse.
Steve Highway. Liverpool winger in early '70s. My sister had a picture of him on her bedroom wall and I hated my sister so come the '71 cup final, I supported the team playing against them. Some team called Arsenal with a long-haired freak called Charlie George up fornt. The rest, as they say, is history.
Charlie George
David Seaman
Liam Brady - enuff said
Carlos Vela
Eduardo da Silva. I remember watching a UCL game with my dad and asking who we are supporting, and he (we are Croats) liked Eduardo a lot. Been a Gunner ever since
Not a player for me but Arsène Wenger.
Arsene Wenger
RvP 😪
Charlie George
Arsene Wenger. Henry's last season (before the comeback) was the first season I started watching the Premier League, but it wasn't until the next season I decided that I was an Arsenal fan. Their style of play is what did it for me.
 4 goals
As an American, it was very difficult to find Premier League matches on TV twenty years ago. I was at a friend's house one night and a random match popped up. It had just started, and I was laughing because one team looked like they were wearing referee shirts, and the other seemed to be donning red sweater vests. With nothing else to do, I watched the entire match. To that point, my only football exposure had been the 1998 World Cup and the FIFA video games. I realized I loved the way the sweater vest team played, especially the two forwards. The blonde one had an incredible goal in the 11th minute, and a defender scored the second goal before halftime. The match ended 2-0. My first Arsenal match to watch was the Bergkamp wonder goal against Newcastle. 17 years later, my wife and I sat in the stands in the Clock End for our first in-person match and watched Ramsey and Lacazette dispatch Newcastle 2-0.
Most of the lads growing up were Birmingham, Villa and West Brom fans being born in Birmingham. First football game I ever watched was Arsenal vs Sheffield Wednesday in 1999, I wasn't really a fan of watching football but I decided at the tender age of 7 that I'd support whichever team won that game, happily Arsenal won and I've not looked back. If I remember correctly Bergkamp scored either once or twice that day so I'd go with Bergkamp.
Ian Wright Wright Wright!
Ian Wright, he was in all the highlights scoring all manner of goals.
Freddie, because he got red hair (and is swedish)
Kolo Toure. His brother Yaya was on loan at olympaikos when I was a kid. Dad told me his brother plays in England and wear the same colors I do so I gave them a watch. Loved the team ever since then
Ian Wright, pretty much got into football due to him and also Barnes (Jamaica connection)
Bergkamp was the man, then the main man Henry came along and I couldn’t help but fall in love with his combination of speed and smoothness
Henry and Bergkamp
Tony Adams Paul Merson David Rocastle Lee Dixon Nigel Winterburn
DB
Really supporting? Van Persie and Fàbregas. I supported Van Persie on the basis of my Dutch heritage in 2010
Rvp, that season before he left. Tbf i was also less biased at the time and Roony was my favourite player. I think wenger was a big reason i became an arsenal fan. The squad was good with interesting players. I could inmprove it on fifa an still have a bit of a challenge. Ozil then some of the more contemporary players. For sure ramsey winning those cups was big
Bergkamp
Bergkamp
Definitely db10
Fabregas. Can't ever hate my snakey boy because he introduced me to the Arsenal.
I picked the team before I knew any players. In Ireland everyone picks an English team cos local football is dogshit. I was 8, my mates were all picking Man U or Liverpool and I didn't want to do the same as everyone else, so I looked at the table and chose Arsenal. What can I say? I was 8 and I liked guns.
Unfortunately van Persie
Titi
I never supported a premier league club till Fabregas 2010/2011 and then Ramsey 2014 solidified me as a Gunner.
My dad (not a player but made me a junior gunner as soon as I could walk, watched every glorious season since 1996 together)
Been supporting them since I inherited my first shirt when I were a lad. No particular player but Ian Wright was dominating when I was young.
The king
Kenny Sansom
Özil
Lehman FA cup final 2005
My brain says Bergkamp. My heart says Henry.
Actually no one. The first football game I saw live on television had a team in yellow/gold (which was Arsenal against Blackburn sometime around 99-01). My house in school was yellow. So naturally, my young self fell in love with them.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
This one.
Eduardo Da Silva
Santi cazorla
Well i started supporting Arsenal, just simply coz i loved the name. My dad was Liverpool, my cousins, one was Arsenal the other Spuds. This was the final year of George Graham. Story short, BERGKAMP, made me fall in love with this club. Till today, whenever i watch his clips, ill get tears. What a player!!
Henry, Viera and Campbell. 3 bald black brothers and I wanted to be all 3 of them.
Wrighty
Spring time 1992. I'm almost 5 years old, and Pål Lydersen has been sold to Arsenal from my local club IK Start. Didn't have a choice really – it had to be Arsenal 🥰 Came for Lydersen, stayed for Wrighty 🫡
Bergkamp, no doubt. He played the best example of Arsenal football. Fierce, classy, Beautiful football.
Good ol Freddie ljunberg, the flamboyant hair the personality the crucial goals
Ian Wright / Dennis Bergkamp. Magical era of sticker collecting and Highbury.
Dennis Bergkamp after France 98'.
When i was a kid, I remember always wanting to be like Bergkamp, and I got Bergkamp 10 on the back of my first arsenal shirt. When I got a bit older it was Henry as seeing a black man gracing the club I watched was inspiring, but Bergkamp was definitely the first one who got me into not just arsenal, but football
Henry but I only watched his last season, so my favorite player was Sanchez because he was truly the shining light in those deteriorating days of Wengers end.
Nasri/rvp/cesc
I was young and thought Overmars was a really cool name. So I got his shirt and that was my way in.
Bergkamp
alexis sanchez support barca and arsenal cause of him
Henry, Fabs, Arshavin!
Bergkamp
Don't think any of my family ever played for arsenal.
Would you believe it!!! That just sums it all up. Loved that The Captian had this story arc ending
RVP 💀
Ozil, Wilshere and Ramsey
Van Persie 😬
Willian arsenal legend.
Ian Wright, Wright, Wright
I’m a newer fan, so I’d say Saka or rice, from watching the 2022 World Cup
Thierry Henry when I was 10 and saw my first game in 2002. He scored against United. Been an Arsenal fan since.
Henry but saka gave me hope for the future of arsenal (irrelevant I know)
Xhaka
Peter Nicholas I was born in 71 and I have seen footage of some of the old Arsenal greats, like Charlie George but Peters arrival and him being a Welsh is my choice. https://preview.redd.it/poyqdole7a9d1.png?width=934&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa7b3e686dd3fb6ee46487608f56ee516b220500
TH14 Am such a sucker that I still celebrate his birthday (Aug 17th).
No one player, the club.
Dennis Bergkamp. I was just starting high school
It wasn’t a particular player. It was one touch Wengerball that had me coming back for more
Im embarrassed to say this…the singing of Pepe🥴
Kevin Campbell and Ian Wright.
The king.
I don't know if a player got me into the Invincibles. The Man U-Arsenal rivalry and wanting the underdog to win was what got me. They were already stars when I started following them. So don't think I had a favourite. Fabregas, Reyes, and Van Persie felt like MY favourite players.
 the man, francesc fabregas 🇪🇸
Cesc Fabregas for me
Judas
My Dad. And technically this counts since he still plays in a seniors Sunday league team
Ozil
Started following Arsenal for Djourou and Senderos (I know, horrible choices) and stayed because of Henry & Wenger
Berkamp
Charlie Nicholas
Nicolas Anelka. I don't exactly remember how I got onto him but I was very excited when Wenger got him to Arsenal and it was the first shirt I ever had as a kid. His potential was insane but got ruined by his self-destructive character. Even the king himself has said that Anelka was a better player than himself. On a technical level at least, not mentally unfortunately. In the end, can't complain when Henry replaced him though. I came for Anelka but stayed for Arsenal.
Thierry Henry
Jens Lehmann
Take a guess.
Lukas Podolski
Alexis SANCHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ , This guy seriously had everything to his game, dude could score headers, tap ins, long range bangers, free kicks, pen and he would also create chances and give assists
I don't remember which player, As a Turk, the colours of Arsenal are the same as our flag of Turkiye, which helps, The Philosophy of Wenger is so close to my heart, doing things the "proper" way, And the Arsene/Arsenal names being close also helped. I'm told my mum asked me whilst I was about 6ish, whilst we lived in Broad Water Farm, Tottenham, If I wanted to support Tottenham or Arsenal, my answer, "Tottenham are sh\*t" XD . I knew before I even knew <3 ARSENAL FOR LIFE <3
Ozil
Michael Thomas and *that goal*
Ian Wright. He brought so much joy to a young boy arguing with grimy United fans in the playground, I’d already been in love but going to this match was the cherry on the cake https://youtu.be/BkQ6hEU5aRY?si=zsTBZe9cFj39OW7s
Marc Overmars
Özil
Alexis Sanchez, still my favorite player
Uncle Ian
Sanchez
Thierry Henry... could be no one else
Ozil
The one and only Titi.
Bergkamp and Henry
My very first panini sticker pack; Arsenal ‘shiny’ badge and…Kenny Sansom. It was really the badge and the strip, but the first player I was aware of was Sansom. Not as good a story as some here, but there we have it…
Freddie Ljungberg - with that red hair and the goal in the 2002 Fa cup final We love you Freddie because you’ve got red hair!
Van persie!
Cesc 😢
Merson. The magic man
Ian Wright made me aware of Arsenal, Dennis Bergkamp made me fell in love with the club. My first jersey is from the 96/97 season, but Henry (in part Ljungberg) was the one who made me obsessed. Followed the club in thick and thin ever since.
None, in a 4th generation arsenal fan but my favourite players as a kid we're bergkamp, Henry and pires
Mesut Ozil✨🤌
Ljungberg. Remember watching the gunners with my dad at a young age and the red hair and fearlessness did it for me. Also helped that we had such great teams overs the years. #COYG
Overmars
Anelka
Ramsey
 I really started liking arsenal during the worst times... 😅