Arsenal: 30 Greatest Players Of All Time

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7. Cliff Bastin

Cliff Bastin is considered one of the greatest players of all time, and yet, he achieved such high acclaim after being robbed of his prime years. Spotted at the age of 17 by Herbert Chapman, Bastin was signed for Arsenal in 1929. At the young age of 18, Bastin became a first team regular and was very rarely not the first name on the team sheet. Playing on the left wing, Bastin, alongside Alex James, was the chief creator. He also chipped in with plenty of goals without being the pinnacle of the attack, behind Ted Drake.

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‘Boy Bastin’ as he was known due to his young age, played beyond his years. His calmness and composure on the ball were unreal. His vision and creativity were wonderful to admire. When his goal scoring accolades are added to such talent, it is clear to see the once-in-a-generation quality that Bastin had. By the age of 19, Bastin had won an FA Cup, a league title and been capped for England, the youngest ever player to achieve all three. Bastin was instrumental in Arsenal’s dominance under Herbert Chapman.

All in all, the left winger won two FA Cups and five league titles. He was 27 when he won his last trophy. Unfortunately for Bastin, WWII broke out, stealing his best years away from him. He returned to play after the war, but age and injuries had caught up with him, and he only played seven times before retiring. It is such a shame for a genius to have lost his greatest years, but is representative of his undoubted quality that he ended his career as Arsenal’s record goalscorer and one of the greatest footballers of all time.

Next: 6. Liam Brady