Growing up in North London and being raised by an Arsenal-supporting father, there was never any doubt which football club I’d choose to follow. However, 7-year-old Alfie could never have predicted that this fandom would turn into an obsession, and eventually, a writing career.
While many youngsters growing up in the late naughties and 2010s opted for the glory of supporting Manchester United and Chelsea, I was never drawn into this shallow outlook. The fluid attacking football Arsene Wenger implemented, as well as the values he instilled, appealed to me much more than trophies in my foundational years.
It was certainly difficult growing up in the ‘banter era’. I was mocked on a daily basis for the nine-year trophy drought that ensued between 2005 and 2014, before my later teenage years were marred by the miserable toxicity of the AFTV-driven ‘Wenger Out’ period.
Things have certainly improved as I’ve moved away from education, and thus, it won’t surprise anyone that many of my favourite Arsenal players emanate from Mikel Arteta’s current team, which is now on the precipice of success.
I’m too young to seriously remember the prime days of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, with most of my heroes lighting up the Emirates pitch, rather than the fields of Highbury.
Bukayo Saka
For many young Arsenal fans witnessing their first iteration of the Gunners, Bukayo Saka will represent their childhood hero. For me, he’s the man who has saved us from mid-table mediocrity and dragged us back to where we should be.
I’ve written about why Saka is so special and important to Arsenal so many times, and I think I best summarised it in a video I made about the winger back in 2024.
“When Saka made his way into the first team picture, we were right in the depths of despair,” I posited.
“We were languishing in mid-table and eventually finished 8th in two consecutive seasons. In the midst of this circus of a squad, a Hale End core emerged, and at the heart of it, a baby-faced Bukayo Saka flourished.
“He was a shining light in our darkest days, and not only that, he rose and improved as the team did. He became the poster boy of our new project and has taken us right to the pinnacle of world football.
“Being a life-long Arsenal fan, who has been on the books since he was 7-years-old, it’s easy for Arsenal fans to resonate with him. He’s living all of our dreams in front of us.”
Declan Rice
Undoubtedly the best midfielder of the Emirates era, all Declan Rice needs to put himself into the pantheon of Arsenal greats is some silverware. Arriving for £100 million as the club’s most expensive acquisition of all time, the burden of the price tag doesn’t appear to have weighed heavily on him.
Freakishly athletic, exceptional on the ball and able to influence proceedings in the final third, the Gunners’ Rolls-Royce of a midfielder is as complete as they come. Watching him live is a joy, and those free-kicks against Real Madrid will live long in the memory of all Arsenal supporters.
William Saliba
Like Rice and many others in the current Arsenal team, William Saliba just needs to add major honours to his CV to secure legendary status in N5. For me, he’s already among my favourite Gunners stars.
The smooth Frenchman makes you feel safe when watching him, with his ability to sweep up and deal with dangerous opposition attacks incredibly important to the Gunners’ ridiculous defensive stability. On the ball, his silky touches and absurd close control aid Arsenal’s build-up, and this is what sets him apart from most centre-backs in world football.
Combine this endless list of flawless attributes with his infectious celebrations in front of the North Bank and on the road, and you have one of the most beloved Arsenal players of the modern era.
Gabriel Magalhaes
It would be wrong to include Saliba on this list and leave out his partner in crime. The fire to the France international’s ice, Gabriel Magalhaes has already established cult hero status in Islington and just needs trophies to be seen in an even more prestigious light.
The Brazilian’s commitment to defending and his animated persona on the pitch make him easy to love, while his technical quality has always arguably gone under the radar. He has every type of pass in his locker, and his threat from set-pieces is integral to this current team.
On top of all this, Gabriel’s leadership qualities have been instrumental in guiding this young side from competing for a Champions League place to perennially competing to win the Premier League.
Martin Odegaard
Despite enduring a turbulent period over the last 12 months, Martin Odegaard still ranks highly in my list of favourite Gunners players. The Norwegian produced two Arsenal player of the year-winning seasons between 2022 and 2024, while he also earned spots in the PFA Team of the Year in both of these campaigns.
These mesmeric seasons have seemingly been forgotten by many Gunners supporters, whose short memories don’t extend to his sublime passing and ability to create chances from very little. He’s the creative hub of this Arsenal team; when he purrs, the Gunners purr.
The fact that he’s on the cusp of captaining the club to its first league title in over 20 years alone should mean he’s thought of fondly. Odegaard lifting the Premier League trophy into the air at the Emirates will be etched into the minds of every Arsenal fan for eternity, if it does indeed materialise.
Santi Cazorla
A fan favourite and cult hero in N5, Santi Cazorla defied what the typical Premier League footballer is supposed to be. Not quick, not strong and not very mobile, the magical Spaniard boasted technical proficiency few players in history can replicate.
His two-footedness, ability to wriggle out of extremely tight spaces, and contagious smile made him an easy player to adore. While his spell in North London was marred by horrendous injury issues, he’ll always be one of my favourites to ever grace the Emirates pitch.
I’ll be hard-pressed not to name my firstborn Santi.
Jack Wilshere
Jack Wilshere holds a special place in the hearts of many Arsenal fans of a certain age because he was the first Hale End graduate to thrive for the Gunners in their time supporting the club. There was something of a dry spell for the Arsenal academy in the years leading up to Wilshere’s breakthrough.
This is why many more recent Hale End scholars cite the ex-midfielder as an inspiration. He spectacularly burst onto the scene as a youngster and offered hope to those looking to break through after him, while providing Arsenal supporters of the time someone to resonate with in the first team.
His early years were magical and promised so much. Unfortunately, injuries took their toll and denied him a long and illustrious career as the figurehead of Arsenal’s new Emirates generation.
Aaron Ramsey
Cynically, some Arsenal fans might argue that they’d wish Wilshere had the career Aaron Ramsey had at Arsenal. Although in a fantasy world, they’d have hoped for even greater heights for the Hale End poster boy, Ramsey enjoyed an incredibly successful 11-year spell in North London that would be more revered had he developed through Arsenal’s system and been a boyhood Gooner.
The Welshman made 369 appearances for the Gunners, won three FA Cups, scored two FA Cup final-winning goals, and left N5 having found the back of the net more times than any other midfielder in the club’s history.
His energetic style made him a joyous watch, while his ability to make late darting runs into the box was unique to him at the Emirates – no other Arsenal midfielder has ever been more effective at getting on the end of moves.
Theo Walcott
A player who frustrated many, but whose career achievements at Arsenal have been slightly overlooked. Theo Walcott has made more appearances for the Gunners than anyone else in the Emirates era (397), while scoring over 100 goals in the process.
From a personal perspective, he was the first player I remember idolising. When I first started watching football, he was the only Englishman in the Arsenal team, which enabled me to resonate with him, while I was in awe of his blistering pace.
The mazy run he produced from his own half to set up Emmanuel Adebayor in the Champions League at Anfield is one of my first great Arsenal memories, while his trademark diagonal run and finish across the goalkeeper was a staple feature of Gunners games that brought light to some of our more challenging periods.
Cesc Fabregas
When I first started watching football, Cesc Fabregas was the talisman and captain of a young and exciting Arsenal team. At the age of 22, he produced a 19-goal and 17-assist season from midfield. He was not only one of the best young midfielders on the planet, but one of the best players full stop.
The Spaniard was able to pick a pass no one else could see, he could drive with the ball past several players, and he constantly found ways to get high-quality shots off. He was as complete as midfielders came, and he carried Arsenal to Champions League qualification in certain seasons when we didn’t really have the right to this achievement.
I never begrudged him returning to his boyhood club, although I’ll admit that his stint at Chelsea does leave something of a sour taste in my mouth. That said, he can make up for this by successfully succeeding Arteta in the future.
