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Arsenal: 30 Greatest Players Of All Time
![By Ronnie Macdonald (Flickr: Dennis Bergkamp statue) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fcc1f5bf4590734bb950515282d97a5f2592cf0b7d832b4baf0a57e19ea004b2b.jpg "By Ronnie Macdonald (Flickr: Dennis Bergkamp statue) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
24. David Rocastle
The story of David Rocastle is a heartbreaking one. ‘Rocky’ is one of the most naturally gifted athletes to play at Highbury. Standing at only 5-foot-9, Rocastle was not a physical presence in central midfield. He was an absolute engine. His ability to run and run and run saw him regularly start under George Graham in the late ’80s. He added an injection of pace into the defensive-minded team and was successful in such a role.
Rocastle was a young superstar, breaking into a regular first team role before the age of 20. He was ever-present under Graham, including playing every game in the 1989 title winning season, the first title in 18 years for the Gunners. Following on from the likes of Liam Brady to grace the No. 7 shirt, Rocky’s play did it justice. His electrifying pace was tantalizing to watch. He eased by opponents, sprayed passes left, right and center and was simply scintillating in the Arsenal midfield.
Sadly, Rocastle’s role in the Arsenal midfield diminished as time passed. Still in the prime of his career amid weight issues, Graham allowed him to leave. His career fizzled out through the ’90s, but Rocky will always be remembered as the electrifying midfielder of the late ’80s. David Rocastle sadly passed away in March 2001, at the age of 33, due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In one of the most heartbreaking days in Arsenal history, Rocastle’s great career was celebrated, immortalized in the memory of fans. The death of the gentle, kind and eloquent man was mourned, but Rocky will never be forgotten.
Next: 23. Lee Dixon