Arsenal and England star Bukayo Saka has revealed that one of his biggest footballing regrets is that he never met legendary Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, while he also revealed that fellow legend Thierry Henry still speaks to him ‘after most games’.
Saka, who has become a key cornerstone of Mikel Arteta’s youthful side, made his Arsenal debut in November 2018, months after Wenger departed the club and was replaced by Spanish coach Unai Emery.
And, due to the meteoric nature of his rise, Saka was not even training with the first team under Wenger, meaning that he and the legendary Arsenal boss never crossed paths, though it is likely that the Frenchman was aware of the supreme talent in his youth academy.
But it is something that Saka, a boyhood Gunners fan, regrets to this day, as he revealed ahead of England’s clash with France.
“One of my biggest regrets was that I haven’t met Arsene Wenger”, he told gathered reporters.
“I know how much my dad loves him, how much everyone at the club loves him”
“I know what he has done for the club, of course. We had so many other French players too like Thierry Henry and Robert Pires who have been around the club and helped me”
Pires worked with the club in an informal role while the Gunners were under the interim charge of Freddie Ljungberg, but Saka revealed that it was Henry who he had the more regular contact with these days.
“Thierry called me [after I missed the penalty in the Euro 2020 final]. He showed a lot of character to get my number and reach out to me.
“After most Arsenal games, he reaches out to me and he is still passionate about the club. He is an amazing person. They still support me to this day. I am grateful to them.
“Of course, on the pitch, they were magnificent and won silverware for Arsenal. They are legends.”
With 151 appearances to his name in red and white already at the age of just 21, Saka is well on his way to joining them.
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