The following table shows you the top ten Arsenal players who currently hold the club record of the most number of appearances regardless of what competition they have played in –
Name | Appearances |
---|---|
David O’Leary | 722 |
Tony Adams | 669 |
George Armstrong | 621 |
Lee Dixon | 619 |
Nigel Winterburn | 584 |
David Seaman | 564 |
Pat Rice | 528 |
Peter Storey | 501 |
John Radford | 481 |
Peter Simpson | 477 |
David O’Leary retired from professional football in 1995, leaving Arsenal in 1993 for Leeds United. Plenty of players have come in and gone from the Gunners ranks but the 60-year-old still holds the record for the most number appearances made for the club.
He had joined the North London outfit back in 1973 only as an apprentice. He made his way through the youth ranks at Highbury to start playing for the reserves two seasons later.
Very quickly, O’Leary’s talents were noticed and the young central defender was thrust into the first team as a 17-year-old. He made 30 appearances in his debut season for the club.
O’Leary also managed 68 caps for the Republic of Ireland national side, collecting 1 goal for his country. He won the Football League which has come to be known as the Premier League now, twice with Arsenal. He also collected 2 FA Cup trophies, 2 League Cups and a Community Shield during his 20-year association with the side.
O’Leary went on to join Leeds United on a free transfer in 1993 and made 12 league appearances. An injury to his Achilles, unfortunately, cut his time short and the legendary defender had to hang up his boots and move on into management.
O’Leary was appointed as the Lillywhites’ assistant manager when another former Arsenal player, George Graham was given the hot seat at Elland Road. When the latter stepped down from the position, O’Leary was handed over the post and Leeds did remarkably well in the first season under him.
By the end of his tenure as the Leeds boss, O’Leary had spent over £100m without winning any trophies and eventually was sacked as the club dropped down to the League One with £80m in debt.
O’Leary took on managerial positions at Aston Villa and even Al Ahli-Dubai for a short period. He currently lives in Yorkshire with his wife, Joy O’Leary. Watch & Bet Football Here =>
Perhaps one of the most iconic players to have ever played for Arsenal and an individual who defines the very morales this club stands on, Tony Adams spent his entire playing career with the Gunners.
He signed for the club as a schoolboy in 1980 and led the club through one of it’s most successful periods as a captain. Adams won the League title 4 times, the FA Cup thrice, the League Cup twice and European Winner’s Cup in 1994.
He also won the PFA Young Player Of The Year in 1987 and was named in the league’s team of the year on 4 different occasions. He was inducted into the English Football Hall Of Fame in 2004 after making 66 appearances for his country and registering 5 international goals to his name.
The former centre-back remains the only player in the history for the Three Lions to have ever played across 3 decades. He finally retired from professional football ahead of the 2002/03 season. His jersey number, 6 is currently worn by Laurent Koscielny.
Adams pursued a degree in sports science and eventually took up a managerial post at Wycombe Wanderers. He also managed Feyenoord, Portsmouth, Gabala and Granada, none being as successful as his career as a player.
The Englishman underwent heart surgery in 2015 which he admitted saved his life. He is still a very popular figure among the fans, earning the nickname, ‘Mr. Arsenal’. Adams’ statue still shines brightly outside of the Emirates Stadium.
Highbury
73,295 vs Sunderland 9 March 1935 (League)
Emirates Stadium
60,161 vs Manchester United 3 November 2007 (Premier League)
Wembley Stadium
73,707 vs RC Lens 25 November 1998 (Champions League)
Here, we look at the Arsenal players who made the most appearances in the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and even in Europe.
# | Name | Years | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total |
1 | David O’Leary | 1975–1993 | 558 (11) | 70 (1) | 70 (2) | 21 (0) | 3 (0) | 722 (14) |
2 | Tony Adams | 1983–2002 | 504 (32) | 54 (8) | 59 (5) | 48 (3) | 4 (0) | 669 (48) |
3 | George Armstrong | 1961–1977 | 500 (53) | 60 (10) | 35 (3) | 26 (2) | 0 (0) | 621 (68) |
4 | Lee Dixon | 1988–2002 | 458 (25) | 54 (1) | 45 (0) | 57 (2) | 5 (0) | 619 (28) |
5 | Nigel Winterburn | 1987–2000 | 440 (8) | 47 (0) | 49 (3) | 43 (1) | 5 (0) | 584 (12) |
6 | David Seaman | 1990–2003 | 405 (0) | 48 (0) | 38 (0) | 69 (0) | 4 (0) | 564 (0) |
7 | Pat Rice | 1964–1980 | 397 (12) | 67 (1) | 36 (0) | 27 (0) | 1 (0) | 528 (13) |
8 | Peter Storey | 1965–1977 | 391 (9) | 51 (4) | 37 (2) | 22 (2) | 0 (0) | 501 (17) |
9 | John Radford | 1964–1976 | 379 (111) | 44 (15) | 34 (12) | 24 (11) | 0 (0) | 481 (149) |
10 | Peter Simpson | 1964–1978 | 370 (10) | 53 (1) | 33 (3) | 21 (1) | 0 (0) | 477 (15) |
Arsenal are back into the Champions League after a big gap and they are off to a good start. They have appeared in the Europa League in past years. So, I thought you might want to know who the top 10 most capped Arsenal players are in Europe. Watch & Bet Football Here =>
Rank | Player | Years | Europe | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | David Seaman | 1990–2003 | 69 (0) | 564 (0) |
2 | Lee Dixon | 1988–2002 | 57 (2) | 619 (28) |
3 | Tony Adams | 1983–2002 | 48 (3) | 669 (48) |
4 | Nigel Winterburn | 1987–2000 | 43 (1) | 584 (12) |
5 | Pat Rice | 1964–1980 | 27 (0) | 528 (13) |
6 | George Armstrong | 1961–1977 | 26 (2) | 621 (68) |
7 | John Radford | 1964–1976 | 24 (11) | 481 (149) |
8 | Peter Storey | 1965–1977 | 22 (2) | 501 (17) |
9 | Peter Simpson | 1964–1978 | 21 (1) | 477 (15) |
10 | David O’Leary | 1975–1993 | 21 (0) | 722 (14) |
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