Arsene Wenger’s 1996 arrival at Highbury is credited as a pivotal moment in the history of English football.
As well as busting the old myth that foreign managers could not succeed in England, Wenger was one of the first bosses to utilise extensive overseas scouting for players and also introduced new fitness and diet regimes that revolutionised the game on these shores.
With Wenger having learned to speak French, German, English, Italian, Spanish and having a working knowledge of Japanese, it was also clear that his academic credentials were higher than many of his contemporaries.
Alan Davis reveals the advice he received from Arsene Wenger
Actor and comedian Alan Davis’ passion for the Gunners is well-known, so it should not be a huge surprise that he idolises the Frenchman, who delivered three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups during his time in north London and was ranked at no.23 in FourFourTwo’s list of the game’s greatest-ever managers.
Davis has spoken to and worked with plenty of footballers and managers in his time and it was Wenger who delivered the best piece of advice that he has ever heard.
“I hosted a couple of Q&As with Arsene Wenger,” Davis tells FourFourTwo. “He said something I’ll never forget: “You have to keep your emotions in line with your ambition.”
“He held up his two index fingers and showed how they had to be aligned. He said: “If your emotions are over here, and your ambition is there, you can’t play properly.
“You won’t achieve what you want if you’re distracted by opponents, referees, or emotions. You need to channel everything you want in the same direction.”
“That kind of wisdom - and remember, English is one of five languages he speaks - it sounded like Confucius. Wenger was a great teacher. He could make you think and understand.”
Wenger called time on his 22-year reign in north London in 2018 and after a year out of the game, took his accumulated wisdom to FIFA, where he serves as Chief of Global Football Development.
Alan’s new book White Male Stand-Up is available on September 9 and he is on tour from September. Go to http://www.alandavies.live/ for details
