Arsenal: 30 Greatest Players Of All Time

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13. David O’Leary

There is one reason David O’Leary is on this list. Longevity. O’Leary is not nearly the most talented player. He is not the most successful, and even the trophies that he did win, he was often only a squad player. However, including caretakers, O’Leary played under five different managers in an 18 years playing career. A true legend of the Highbury turf, O’Leary endured the desert years of the late ’70s and early ’80s and did achieve honors later in his career under George Graham.

The Irish center back played a record 722 games throughout his Arsenal tenure. Such a long lasting career deserves to be recognized. His loyalty and dedication throughout his near 20-year span never wavered, and although he became a squad player under George Graham, O’Leary has the accolades his great career deserves. He won the league title and FA Cup twice each, including the dramatic 1989 title winning season.

A young superstar in the mid-’70s, O’Leary was the youngest Arsenal player to make 100 and 200 appearances and had played 400 matches when he was only 26. Calm, collected and elegant, O’Leary was ahead of his time. A center back who was good on the ball, intelligent and positionally sound, he rarely looked ruffled, often in control of whatever striker he faced.

Although many of his titles were achieved when he had been usurped by Steve Bould and Tony Adams, O’Leary’s experience and leadership qualities were important during the George Graham years. It is however, such experience and longevity that elevates him among Arsenal’s greatest.

Next: 12. Pat Jennings