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HE may have spent less than two full seasons at Arsenal but Nicolas Anelka laid the foundations for Arsene Wenger's success - literally.
Chelsea's French striker lines up against his old team in tomorrow's Emirates clash.
Anelka will never win any popularity polls in the red half of north London - but their recent success has been on pitches and in gyms he helped pay for.
Bob Wilson, the Gunners' legendary 1971 Double-winning keeper, explained: "I was sitting in an office at the old training ground we used to lease when in walked Arsene.
"I remember him saying 'I do not understand. This is Arsenal? It cannot be Arsenal'.
"First in his sights was a new training ground, purpose-built and paid for in an ingenious way. He bought Anelka from Paris St Germain for £300,000 and sold him to Real Madrid for £23million.
"From that, £12m created the country's best football training facility.
"And with the spare £11m he went out and bought another young French player called Thierry Henry. Some business, some brain."
Wilson paid tribute to Wenger at the London Football Coaches Awards on Thursday night when the Arsenal boss received the Sir Walter Winterbottom Award for outstanding contribution to coaching.
Wilson added: "I'd say he is a driven man with a vision. He is amazing."
Chelsea's French striker lines up against his old team in tomorrow's Emirates clash.
Anelka will never win any popularity polls in the red half of north London - but their recent success has been on pitches and in gyms he helped pay for.
Bob Wilson, the Gunners' legendary 1971 Double-winning keeper, explained: "I was sitting in an office at the old training ground we used to lease when in walked Arsene.
"I remember him saying 'I do not understand. This is Arsenal? It cannot be Arsenal'.
"First in his sights was a new training ground, purpose-built and paid for in an ingenious way. He bought Anelka from Paris St Germain for £300,000 and sold him to Real Madrid for £23million.
"From that, £12m created the country's best football training facility.
"And with the spare £11m he went out and bought another young French player called Thierry Henry. Some business, some brain."
Wilson paid tribute to Wenger at the London Football Coaches Awards on Thursday night when the Arsenal boss received the Sir Walter Winterbottom Award for outstanding contribution to coaching.
Wilson added: "I'd say he is a driven man with a vision. He is amazing."
...that was business acumen on display!
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