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
By Ronnie Macdonald (Flickr: Dennis Bergkamp statue) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 31
Next

View image | gettyimages.com

23. Lee Dixon

Nigel Winterburn, Lee Dixon’s partner in crime, was mentioned earlier on this list. The left back was phenomenal during the ’90s. Well, his fellow full back wasn’t bad either.

Arsenal FC
Arsenal FC /

Arsenal FC

Another member of the famous defense, Dixon was essential to Arsenal’s success under George Graham and later Arsene Wenger. Arriving in January 1988 alongside Steve Bould from Stoke, Dixon had to wait for his chance. With the long standing Kenny Sansom playing at left back, and Winterburn performing well on the opposite flank, Dixon didn’t get a regular start until Graham replaced Sansom with Winterburn. This move was the creation of Arsenal’s full backs for the next decade. Dixon immediately linked up well with right winger David Rocastle.

Dixon was tactically astute. His positioning was world class. Defensively he was very rarely beaten and on the ball, he was more than competent. One of the most all-around fullbacks in the last 30 years, Dixon’s greatest asset was his reliability. He was solid in every game, dependable and a leader in the dressing room.

Dixon’s quality was such that he played for 14 seasons in an Arsenal shirt, winning league titles in three different decades and enjoying two double winning seasons. In total, Dixon played 619 games for the Gunners, the fourth most of all time. His longevity through different eras and managers is a testament to his outstanding ability.

Next: 22. Ray Parlour