Located in the heart of Islington, London, Arsenal Football Club, established in 1886, stands as one of England's most iconic football clubs.

In Arsenal F.C. history, the club proudly holds the title of the most successful FA Cup team in English soccer, having secured an impressive 14 victories. Their triumphs extend to the Premier League, where they clinched the trophy three times, notably in the seasons 1997-98, 2001-02, and during the historic 'Invincible' year of 2003-04 when they remained unbeaten.

Arsenal are well known for their ability to nurture young talent from their academy, and turn them into Arsenal Legends and global soccer stars. In today’s article, let’s find out who these legends of Arsenal are and why they deserve a place in the top 10 in Arsenal F.C. history.

Who are the most valuable Arsenal players this Premier League 2023-24 season? Bukayo Saka is the most valuable Arsenal player in this Premier League season. In 7 matches so far this season, the England international has scored 4 goals and provided 2 assists. He is without a doubt one of Arsenals best players.

Behind Saka, Arsenals most valuable international players are Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus in that order.

Current Players of Arsenal Below is a breakdown of all the current Arsenal FC players in the 2023 season. In the transfer market, Arteta has added some key pieces to this Arsenal soccer team. They broke their club record transfer figure by prizing Declan Rice from London rivals West Ham. Additionally, talents like Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber have also been added to the Arsenal roster in 2023.

Goalkeepers: Aaron Ramsdale, Karl Hein, David Raya
Defenders: William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Cedric Soares, Jurrien Timber
Midfielders: Thomas Partey, Jorginho, Mohamed Elneny, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smile Rowe, Fabio Vieira, Kai Havertz, Declan Rice
Forwards: Gabriel Martninelli, Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah

Are there any US players in Arsenal soccer team?

There are currently no US players on the Arsenal roster. During the recent transfer window, goalkeeper Matt Turner moved to Nottingham Forest for an initial fee of $9 million, potentially rising to $12.8 million with add-ons. Another departure was Folarin Balogun, who joined French side Monaco for a reported fee of $30 million, eventually increasing to $40 million. Turner and Balogun were the last Americans to be part of the Arsenal squad.

Famous Arsenal Players

There have been so many iconic players to play for Arsenal F.C. Among the most famous is Thierry Henry, a true legend in the world of soccer. Henry joined Arsenal in 1999 and became the club's all-time leading scorer, with 228 goals in all competitions. The French forward played a key role during the ‘Invincible’ season in 2003-04, scoring 39 goals for the club.

Henry influenced an entire generation of footballers during his time at the club with his ability to score crucial goals and nature ability with the ball at his feet. Even today new Arsenal players reference Henry as one of the main reasons they wanted to join the team. This alone solidifies his status as one of the best Arsenal players of all time. 

Other famous arsenal players include Ian Wright, Tony Adams, and Theo Walcott.

Ranking the Top 10 Greatest Arsenal Players of all time

10. Liam Brady

Position: Attacking Midfielder
Years Active: 1973 - 1990
Teams: Arsenal, Juventus, Sampdoria, Inter Milan, Ascoli, West Ham
Awards: Arsenal Player of the Year x3, PFA Players’ Player of the Year, FA Cup, PFA Team of the Year x3, FAI Hall of Fame, English Football Hall of Fame

William (Liam) Brady is an Irishman who played for Arsenal’s youth team in 1971-1973. He broke into the first team as a regular starter in 1974, he went on the make 235 appearances for the Gunners and score 43 goals.

Arsenal fans will testify that Brady was one of the best playmakers of his generation and often held him in the same breath as Diego Maradona. He was the ticking heartbeat in that Arsenal team and when he left them to join Juventus at the end of the 1979/80 season, Arsenal struggled.

Perhaps Brady’s fondest moment in a red shirt was his superb left foot curling effort from outside of the box in their 5-0 thumping of Tottenham Hotspur. That same year, he won the PFA Players’ Player of the year, making him the first foreign player to win the award.

During his nine years at Arsenal, he helped them reach three consecutive FA Cup finals from 1978 - 1980, winning the 1979 Cup. He also helped them reach the final of the Cup Winner’s Cup, a European competition where they lost to Valencia on penalties, this was his last game for the Gunners.

Arsenal fans consider him a legend and he’ll go down in their history as having one of Arsenal’s best players.

9. Robert Pires

Position: Winger, Attacking Midfielder
Years Active: 1993 - 2015
Teams: Metz, Marseille, Arsenal, Villarreal, Aston Villa, FC Goa
Awards: Coupe de la Ligue, Premier League x2, FA Cup x2, FIFA World Cup, European Championship, Confederations Cup x2, Division 1 Young Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year, PFA Team of the Year x3, 2001-02 Arsenal Player of the Season, Confederations Cup Golden Ball and Golden Shoe.

Robert Pires was a French footballer who played for Arsenal between 2000 and 2006. He made 189 appearances and scored 62 goals with 41 assists. Pires was part of the 03-04 ‘Invincibles’ team that went undefeated. He won three FA Cups and two Premier League Titles with Arsenal.

Pires was brought in to replace former Arsenal player, Marc Overmaars. He struggled at the start to meet the physicality of the Premier League but eventually emerged as a prolific player and he did not disappoint the Arsenal faithful with some world class performances. In the last game of the 2001-02 season, his team-mates bowed down in front of him as he lifted the Premier League trophy, showing how much respect and admiration they had for the Frenchman.

Pires goes down as one of Arsenals best players ever and was a crucial cog in their most successful period.

8. David Seaman

Position: Goalkeeper
Years Active: 1982-2004
Teams: Peterborough, Birmingham, QPR, Arsenal, Man City
Awards: Football League First Division 1990-91, Premier League 1997-98, 2001-2002, FA Cup 1992-93, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03, Football League Cup 1992-93, Community Shield 1991, 1998, 2002, European Cup Winners Cup 1993-94, 1996 European Championship Team of the Tournament, PFA Team of the Year 1990-91, 1996-97, Premier League Most Clean Sheets 1993-94, 1998-99.

David Seaman is an English goalkeeper who played for Arsenal between 1990 and 2003. With his big frame, moustache and long hair, it was hard to miss him. He’s widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in Premier League history.

The Arsenal goalkeeper featured in 405 matches for the Gunners, and his Arsenal player stats include ranking third on the Premier League's record books for the most clean sheets for a single club, boasting an impressive 137 clean sheets.

Seaman played an important part in Arsenal’s three title winning seasons. He also won four FA Cups, The League Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup. Out of all the ex-Arsenal players, Seaman is fondly remembered by England fans for representing his national team. In 1997 he was awarded an MBE for his services to Soccer.

7. Sol Campbell

Position: Centre-back
Years Active: 1992-2011
Teams: Tottenham, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County, Newcastle
Awards: Premier League 2001-02, 2003-04, FA Cup 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, Community Shield 2002, PFA Team of the Year 2002-03, 2003-04, FIFA World Cup All-Star Team 2002, European Championship Team of the Tournament 2004.

Sulzeer Jeremiah (Sol) Campbell is an English centre back that played for Arsenal between 2001 and 2006. He was a vital member of the Invincibles team and contributed to Arsenal's success by winning two Premier League titles and multiple FA Cups with the Gunners.

Campbell grew up in East London and started his youth career at West Ham before making the switch to Tottenham Hotspur. He made 255 appearances for Spurs before making the switch to Arsenal. For those that don’t know, Arsenal and Spurs are bitter rivals, and this move did not go down well with Spurs fans, but it obviously worked out very well for Campbell’s career.

Although Campbell was only at Arsenal for a relatively short period of time compared to some of other people on this list, he was instrumental in their undefeated season. His partnership with Kolo Toure formed a formidable force at the back. He was quick, strong, and mentally tough.

He is also the only player to have scored in the 2006 Champions League Final for Arsenal. Down to 10 men, he gave the Gunners a surprising lead. Unfortunately, they eventually lost to Barcelona and Arsenal have not returned to a Champions League Final since then.

6. Ian Wright

Position: Striker
Years Active: 1985 - 2000
Teams: Crystal Palace, Arsenal, West Ham United, Nottingham Forest, Celtic, Burnley
Awards: Premier League 1997-98, FA Cup 1992-93, 1997-98, Football League Cup 1992-93, European Cup Winners’ Cup 1993-94, First Division Golden Boot 1991-92, Arsenal Player of the Season 1991-92, 1992-93, PFA Team of the Year 1992-93, 1996-97, English Football Hall of Fame, Premier League Hall of Fame, PFA Merit Award.

Ian Wright is one of the best strikers to wear Arsenal’s red shirt. A South London native, he spent six years with Crystal Palace before making the switch up to North London to join Arsenal where he served for seven years between 1991 and 1998 scoring 128 goals in 221 appearances. He went on to have fleeting appearances at other clubs before retiring in 2000.

During his time at Arsenal, Wright won the Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup as well as the European Cup Winners Cup. He is Arsenal’s second-highest goal scorer behind the one and only Thierry Henry.

In his first season at Arsenal, he scored a hat-trick on his league debut, and a hat-trick on his last game of the season. The latter enabled him to steal the Golden Boot from Tottenham’s Gary Lineker which won the hearts of all the Arsenal fans.

Wright is remembered for his swift and nimble style of play, coupled with a remarkable ability to find the back of the net. His goal-scoring prowess will never be forgotten by Arsenal fans. He was a true showman, that had the ability to score from virtually any angle. Despite his remarkable contributions, he was 34 when he clinched the Premiership with Arsenal. At this point he recognized it was the right time to make way for younger talents to come through the ranks. A true legend cemented in Arsenal History.

Wright now works as a pundit and is loved by soccer fans all around the world. This year, he was awarded an OBE for his services to football and charity.

5. Tony Adams

Position: Centre-back
Years Active: 1983 - 2002
Teams: Arsenal
Awards: Football League First Divison 1988-89, 1990-91, Premier League 1997-98, 2001-02, FA Cup 1992-93, 1997-98, 2001-02, Football League Cup, 1986-87, 1992-93, FA Community Shield 1997, 1998, European Cup Winners’ Cup 1993-94, Arsenal Player of the Season 1986-87, 1989-90, 1993-94, PFA Younf Player of the Year 1986-87, PFA First Division/Premier League Team of the Year 1986-87, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, PFA Team of the Century 1907-2007, Team of the Decade, English Football Hall of Fame, OBE.

Tony Adams was the captain of both the English National Team and Arsenal between 1983 and 2002. He is a one-club man; he’s only ever played for Arsenal which is one of the reasons he is so high on this list. He made 504 appearances for Arsenal, captaining a title winning team in three different decades. He first got given the captain’s armband at the ripe age of 21, and would spend the next 14 year's captaining the club.

He is considered one of best players to have ever played for Arsenal. He was a colossus centre back that had impeccable timing, reading the game like no other. His teammates thrived with him at the back, and the defensive stability he provided.

Adams was already a terrific defender, but the arrival of manager Arsene Wenger turned Adams into a complete player. He got on the ball a lot more and started initiating attacks from the back. He even scored 48 goals during his long Arsenal career and plenty of vital ones. Perhaps the most memorable goal was the goal to beat Tottenham at Wembley in 1993.

Adams did however, face a lot of issues with the media, as he struggled with alcoholism and injuries towards the latter end of his career. Regardless, he is one of the Premier League’s all-time greats and will forever be one of Arsenals best defenders. He is one of six former players and coaches to have a statue of themselves outside of the Emirates stadium.

4. Dennis Bergkamp

Position: Forward
Years Active: 1986 - 2006
Teams: Ajax, Inter Milan, Arsenal
Awards: Premier League 1997-98, 2001-02, 2003-04, FA Cup 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, Community Shield 1998, 2002, 2004, Ballon d'Or runner-up 1993, Premier league most assists 1998-99, PFA Team of the Year 1997-98, FWA Footballer of the Year 1997-98, BBC Goal of the Season 1997-98, 2001-02, Fifa World Cup All-Star Team 1998, English Football Hall of Fame, Premier League Hall of Fame.

Dennis Bergkamp is a Dutch footballer who played for Arsenal from 1995 to 2006. Bergkamp oozed class from the kick-off to the final whistle. He was brought in to be part of a new movement at Arsenal, one where they would play more exciting, expansive football.

Dennis Bergkamp is best remembered for the quality of goals he scored. The most iconic goal will forever be ‘The Swivel’ where he flicked it around a defender with the outside of his foot, swivelled around the defender then slotted it cooler past the keeper. In 2017 it was voted as the best Premier League goal of all-time, and it’s hard to disagree with that. Bergkamp went on to score 119 goals in 418 appearances for the Gunners.

One of the most creative players of his generation, Bergkamp was essential to everything good at Arsenal for just over a decade. Even age did not bother him, he was part of the Invincible team at 34 years old, serving as a role model for the younger players in the squad.

In 2007 he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame, the only Dutch player to receive the honor and in 2021 he was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

Bergkamp has a strong claim to considered as one of the best Arsenal players of all time. He also has a statue honoring him outside of the Emirates.

3. Cesc Fabregas

Position: Centre Midfield
Years Active: 2003 - 2023
Teams: Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Monaco, Como
Awards: FA Cup 2004-05, Community Shield 2004, Bravo Award, Golden Boy Award, UEFA Team of the Year 2006, 2008, Arsenal Player of the Season 2006-07, 2009-10, PFA young Player of the Year 2007-08, PFA Team of the Year 2007-08, 2009-10, ESM Team of the Year 2007-08, 2009-10, 2014-15, UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament 2008, 2012.

Francesc ‘Cesc’ Fabregas may be the biggest star to come out of Arsenal in recent times. The Spanish midfielder joined Arsenal’s youth team in 2003 from Barcelona and eventually broke into the first team later that year. Between 2003 and 2011, he made 303 appearances, racked up 95 assists and scored 57 goals.

Since his early days emerging from Barcelona's academy, Cesc was destined for greatness. He didn’t disappoint either, and during his time at Arsenal he developed into one of the world’s best midfielders.

He made his Arsenal debut in 2004 and quickly established himself as part of Wenger’s team. His vision, passing and ability to read the game set him apart from the rest and he quickly became a fan favorite and was given the captaincy armband in 2008.

He was part of Spain’s Golden Generation that won the World Cup in 2010 and won the European Championship in 2008 and 2012.

Fabregas didn’t win much during his time at Arsenal, having joined the club after the invincible season, and only managed two community shields. He would later join the list of Arsenal players that left the club and went on to win many more trophies. He even joined London rivals Chelsea and won two Premier League titles with them. Despite this, Arsenal fans still hold Cesc close to their hearts and he’ll go down as an Arsenal legend, and one of the best Arsenal players of all-time.

2. Patrick Viera

Position: Centre Midfielder
Years Active:1993 - 2011
Teams: Cannes, AC Milan, Arsenal, Juventus, Inter Milan, Manchester City
Awards: Premier League 1997-98, 2001-02, 2003-04, FA Cup 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, Community Shield 1998, 1999, 2002, PFA Team of the Year 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, Premier League Player of the Season 2000-01, UEFA Team of the Year 2001, French Player of the Year 2001, Premier League Hall of Fame, Premier League Overseas Team of the Decade 1992-93, 2001-02, Premier League Team of the Decade 1992-93, 2001-02, Arsenal Player of the Season 2000-01, English Football Hall of Fame, Golden Foot Legends Award.

Patrick Viera is a 6ft 4inch commanding centre midfielder that patrolled the midfield for both France and Arsenal. He joined the Gunners in 1996 and would go on to make 402 appearances for them. Viera is considered one of the greatest midfielders of his generation.

Viera was part of the Arsenal Invincibles team and helped the club win four FA Cups and three League titles. He had the perfect balance of strength and skill. Similarly to Bergkamp, Viera oozed class. His physical presence terrified defenders and when he wanted to be aggressive, he could be.

His aggression was always on display whenever he came face to face with Manchester United’s Roy Keane. The two of them had a bitter rivalry and he is beloved by Arsenal fans for his part in that rivalry.

Viera was named in the Premier League PFA Team of the year for six consecutive seasons from 1999 to 2004. He won the World Cup with France in 1998 and the Euros in 2004.

He eventually left Arsenal and had spells in Italy and briefly with Manchester City where he retired and took control of their academy. He’s now currently a soccer manager for Strasbourg. He previously served as manager for New York City FC, Nice and Crystal Palace. Arsenal fans held hope that he might one day return to the club as a manager. However, his managerial record falls far short of his illustrious playing career, raising doubts about his ability to reach the high standards required to manage Arsenal.

Viera will go down in history as a Premier League and Arsenal all-time great, adored by the Arsenal fanbase.

1. Thierry Henry

Position: Forward
Years Active: 1994 – 2014
Teams: Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona, New York Red Bulls
Awards: Premier League 2001-02, 2003-04 FA Cup 2001-02, 2002-03, Community Shield 2002, 2004, Ballon d’Or Runner up 2003, European Golden Shoe 2003-04, 2004-05, Onze d’Or 2003, 2006, PFA Players Player of the Year 2002-03, 2003-04, PFA Fans Player of the Year 2002-03, 2003-04, PFA Team of the Year 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, PFA Team of the Century 1907-2007, FWA Footballer of the Year 2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06, Premier League Player of the Season 2003-04, 2005-06, Premier League Golden Boot 2001-02, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, Premier League Most Assists 2002-03, Arsenal Player of the Season 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, BBC Goal of the Season 2002-03, UEFA Team of the Year 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, French Player of the Year 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, IFFHS Worlds Top Goal Scorer of the Year 2003, FIFA FIFPro World XI 2006, English Football Hall of Fame, Overseas Team of the Decade, UEFA Euro All-time X1 2016, Premier League Hall of Fame.

Thierry Henry tops the all-time greatest Arsenal players list, and how can he not?

He made 377 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 228 goals and 103 assists. He is Arsenal’s leading goal scorer; he won the Golden Boot a record four times and was part of the invincible Arsenal squad that won the league. He was the FIFA World Player of the Year twice in 2003 and 2004.

Name a type of goal, Henry has scored it. From delicate chips to thumping long range strikes, Henry would find the back of the net. He took over this Arsenal team and was their talisman for a decade. Henry is the kind of player that only comes around once in a generation. He was on the same level as the likes of Mbappe but arguably more consistent.

When Henry first joined Arsenal, he was nowhere near being the prolific scorer we know he is today. He was a shifty winger that had pace to spare. Under Arsene Wenger’s guidance, he transformed Henry into a world class striker.

Henry took over the captain’s armband from Patrick Viera in 2005 and almost led the Arsenal team to their first Champions League Trophy. Unfortunately, they fell short on the last hurdle and lost in the final, but he did eventually go on to win the Champions League with Barcelona.

Henry was France’s record goal scorer until his record was eclipsed by Olivier Giroud.

In 2012, Henry made an emotional return to Arsenal on loan from New York Red Bulls for a brief stint. He exhibited a vintage performance, entering as a substitute and scoring a goal for Arsenal. This iconic moment created history, solidifying Henry's special place in the hearts of the Arsenal faithful.

Henry has a statue of himself outside of the Emirates for his contribution to the club, the greatest Arsenal player of all time.

Parameters of Rankings

The ranking of these legendary Arsenal players takes into account their notable achievements for the club, the awards and records they hold, and the significant impact they had on the team.

Related:

The 10 greatest Arsenal managers of all time

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