Arsene Wenger has revealed why he found it almost impossible to leave Arsenal after spending 22 years in charge of the north London outfit.
The Frenchman joined the Gunners in 1996 and went on to become the club's longest serving manager, creating a lasting legacy in the process. Although his final years saw him become a divisive figure in the eyes of Arsenal fans, he has insisted that he still feels a special connection with the club.
In his foreword to award-winning journalist Amy Lawrence’s new book ‘The Wenger Revolution: The Club of My Life’, Wenger shared the highs and lows of his time in English football.
“In England I believe your football club is a part of your passport. You live with it, you die with it. It is like a nationality – nobody in England thinks to change their passport during their lifetime. It is the same for their club." Wenger wrote, as per the Express.
“Arsenal has become my passport. Only six months in a club nowadays is massive, so 22 years makes you feel forever attached. Of course it has become my identity. My passport is red and white in fact."
Wenger went on to discuss the fact that he always felt responsible for ensuring that fans went home happy and proud to be an Arsenal supporter after every match.
“You have people who you know will go home and cry when you lose a game, who will suffer when you don’t play well. So you feel you have a kind of responsibility to make them proud of their club.
“Through the victories or defeats, what will remain is the formidable human aspect of the last 22 years – that is special and I will cherish that. I had fantastic human experiences at the club. Above the results it was a human adventure.”