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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Tom Doyle

Santi Cazorla’s Instagram post delights Arsenal fans: ‘I will be a Gooner forever’

When it comes to fan favourites among the Arsenal faithful, few are held in higher regard than Santi Cazorla.

The Spanish playmaker played for the Gunners between 2012-18, winning two FA Cups along with the club's Player of the Season award in 2013 as Arsenal supporters fell in love with his style of play.

Cazorla's final years in north London were blighted by injury troubles, with the midfielder admitting that he almost had to have his right foot amputated following complications from a long-standing ankle problem.

It appeared that Cazorla's footballing career was over, but the 34-year-old left the Gunners last summer and made the move back to Spain with Villarreal, where he has played 37 times this season.

Cazorla was in the stands for Arsenal's Europa League semi-final victory over Valencia on Thursday night, cheering the Gunners on as they won 4-2 at the Mestalla to progress 7-3 on aggregate to set up an all-English final against Chelsea in Baku.

Arsenal's social media team spotted Cazorla in the stands and posted a picture of him on their Instagram account, to which he replied: "thank you My friends you know that I will be gooner forever good luck in the final come On".

Cazorla's post has since received over 5,500 likes, with Arsenal fans describing him as "our little Spanish wizard" among the many platitudes.

Once a Gunner, always a Gunner, it seems.

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