Arsenal legend: Wenger gave up coaching over 20 years ago

Tony Adams has revealed that Arsene Wenger has never been a coach at Arsenal after a bad experience while in charge at Monaco.

Wenger joined the Gunners in October 1996 following a short spell in Japan with J-League side Grampus Eight and is now the north London club’s most successful manager.

Adams played under Wenger for six years before retiring having only ever represented Arsenal in his club career.

And the former England international, who won the Premier League twice under Wenger, claims that the Frenchman lost his motivation for coaching following one-to-one sessions with Lilian Thuram.

“Arsene, essentially, is not a coach,” Adams told the Guardian.

“When Arsene first got here he spoke about Lilian Thuram.

“He had him at Monaco and Thuram was making mistakes and costing him game after game.

“But Arsene worked with him and coached and trained him.

“Eventually they sold him for a lot of money, he became a French international and the rest is history.

“But Arsene said: ‘I’ll never do that at Arsenal. I can’t afford these players to cost me anymore.'”