ISL 2017/18: 7 Indian Super League stars who had played under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal
Arsene Wenger, a name synonymous with Arsenal, announced his resignation this week, after being with the club for around 22 years. A lot of people have fallen in love with the Gunners because of Arsene Wenger, and his contribution to football is right up there at the top of the list.
He will be most remembered for the 2003-04 'Invincibles' season, when the Gunners won the Premier League without losing a single game. The Frenchman also won two more Premier League titles in 1997-98, and 2001-02. He also has the record of winning the most number of FA Cups as a manager, with 7 titles to his name.
Wenger, as a manager, has the reputation of building superstars, rather than buying them, and has produced or fine-tuned more than a few top-notch footballers during his tenure at Arsenal.
He is also one manager who has consistently praised leagues like ISL, MLS, and the Chinese Super League as these leagues give players a chance to keep playing the beautiful game even after they are past their prime for European football.
On that note, let's take a look at some of the ISL stars, who had previously played under Wenger.
#7 Graham Stack (Kerala Blasters)
The former Kerala Blasters keeper joined Arsenal in 1998 as a youngster and was promoted to the main team in 2000. However, he was soon loaned out to Belgian club Beveren. After completing his loan term, he came back to Arsenal and made his debut for the Gunners in the League Cup in 2003, as he went on to play all the five games in the competition. He even scored in a penalty shootout against Rotherham United.
The English keeper, who had also won an FA Cup at Arsenal, later went on to join the ISL side Kerala Blasters in 2016, as a player-cum goalkeeping coach. Graham Stack made seven appearances for Kerala Blasters during the season, and had a big impact in keeping the scores respectable.
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