Tony Adams’ career could have taken a massive turn after Sir Alex Ferguson attempted to poach him from north London, and indeed, he was very tempted.
The former Arsenal captain, much loved by Gooners for his loyalty and commitment to the club, spoke to Inside Futbol about how Ferguson tried “twice” to capture him and was “on the phone” to Adams every day.
After George Graham left the club in February 1995, it appeared Adams was “ready for a change”, one that SAF could certainly provide. However, it took chairman Peter Hill Wood to convince Adams that there was a “good man on the way” – and of course, in the form of Arsene Wenger, there was; even as a little-known manager, he seemed to have a knack of attracting high calibre players.
Interestingly enough, another carrot provided by the chairman was the promise of “ambitious” spending – the contrary of which Arsenal have been accused in recent times – and this was kickstarted by a “tripled salary” for Adams, perhaps reflecting the importance of money throughout football’s history, and its continued influence on player loyalty, so much so that he “never felt the need to look elsewhere”.
Of course, a lot of his newfound loyalty was also down to the prowess and ability of Arsene Wenger, and in return, the now-Gunners legend Adams led the club to three more titles and remained in north London for the rest of his career, leading to a well-deserved statue outside the Emirates.
