@5MinuteFinal aka ‘Improper Fan’ puts the pen to work to describe his regard Arsene Wenger

Where do I start! There’s Ludovico Einaudi’s Oltremare playing in the background as I pen this, and the music is so deep that it’s evoked a slow-motion collage of Arsene’s finest moments running through my head. A tear drop hits my scroll pad.

As curtains call on a phenomenal 22-year career, so does my childhood, because Arsene is all I’ve known since I was 9.

Arsene Wenger is Arsenal, and so am I. I’ll die an Arsenal supporter, and a proud one. I owe that to Arsene Wenger.

The greatest change to have happened in English football. The man who made Sir Alex Ferguson rethink his footballing ideology. He led, we followed, for his ideas and vision were way ahead of his time. It’s quite incredible that I don’t know an Arsenal without him, and the thought of it happening now, is not pleasant.

His rivals cherished his failures and despised his incredible success. Speaks volumes about how he overshadowed everything in that land.

At his peak, Arsene Wenger was literally untouchable, as he led a team of warriors to become truly Invincible. At his worst, Arsene Wenger led his team to a domestic cup final and a European Cup, semi-final. Let that just sink in.

Arsene Wenger the manager; The Arsenal’s greatest. Arsene Wenger the human being, one of a kind, made of gold.

It’s the human being in Arsene that I will forever miss. His fierce belief in values. WOW.

An organization and its leader, first and foremost must be about the values they hold. Measurable success can be amassed with benefactors, and in the process, one can be derailed by the facade of glory, and lose track of the values and principles that the foundation of the organization was built up on.

The ones that stand-out are always the idealists, the philosophers, the purists and the principled, who will stand by these values, no matter what. Arsene Wenger a combination of them all.

Make yourself bigger than a man, and you will be a man of ideals. Arsene Wenger, will forever be remembered for being a fierce believer of his values, and a man who never gave up on people. A mark of a true leader.

I will always be a champion of the values and philosophy that Arsene imbibed into me, through my formative years. The shining light in my life, through a very dark phase. He gave me a reason to look forward to life. I can never forget that, never.

As we bid farewell to this gentle, kind, compassionate, and wonderful human being, I would like to thank him for every single moment, that I have witnessed as an Arsenal supporter over the last 20 years. An adventure of a lifetime, which I would relive, all over again, without a second thought.

With his departure, will end Arsenal’s most successful period in its 132-year existence. From the Marble Halls of Highbury to the lush green state of the art Emirates stadium. The man leaves us with a foundation that’s deep and a fortress that’s strong.

100 lifetimes from now, we wouldn’t find another Arsene Wenger. He has left an indelible mark on this football club and the lives of thousands, if not millions. As an Arsenal supporter, it’s been a privilege to have been a part of this club during his time, and I will always ensure that his legacy is upheld, and he is remembered and cherished for years to come.

It’s a new light for Arsenal, starting next season, and I hope that the Arsenal unite and stand for its motto Victoria Concordia Crescit.

I’d like to end this with one of Wenger’s classics.

“There is a kind of magic when men unite their energies to express a common idea. That is when sport becomes beautiful. The unhappiness of man, comes when he finds himself alone to fight against the problems he must face.”

Merci Beaucoup, Arsene. I will always love you.