Ian Wright has admitted that he felt Arsene Wenger looked like a professor when he was first appointed at Arsenal in 1996.
And the former Arsenal striker has said that the Frenchman was "so far ahead of his time" and that he brought out the best in every player he worked with in north London.
Wenger has been named among the top ten managers in the Premier League era following his 22-year spell as Arsenal boss, during which time he took charge of 828 games and had a win ratio of 57.5%, with the Gunners winning three league titles during his time in charge.
Arsenal also won the FA Cup seven times during his spell in charge, and Wright, who played under the Frenchman for two years, has delivered his verdict on Wenger.
“I remember when he did his first interview and it’s the first time anybody’s ever seen him, especially us,” Wright recalled, speaking on a Match of the Day podcast about the top ten managers in the Premier League.
“He had these massive glasses on, this oversized jacket - he looked like a professor, a teacher.
“And when he came in and explained to us what he was going to try and do - change the diet, change the training regime, he wants people to rest more, we want you to drink more water, we want you to chew your food more.
“We used to have vitamin injections directly into our arm - it’s not suspect! It was basically stuff everyone knows today, like vitamin C, B12, omega 3. He was so far ahead of his time.
“Wenger took you to a place where you had to be literally the best you could be, and that’s what he did with us.”
