Alexander Hleb has hailed the impact of Arsene Wenger on his career during his trying times at the Emirates
Hleb was one of Arsenal’s best players under Wenger but he left the Gunners for a move to Barcelona that never worked out.
He has admitted that he regrets leaving the Gunners for Barcelona but has now hailed Wenger.
Wenger, who left Arsenal in 2018 after more than 20 years at the helm, has been applauded for his man-management skills by his former players and Hleb has become the latest.
The Belarusian claimed that Wenger was the person responsible for his upturn in form at the club despite the early doubts he had about his career.
He talked about an injury he had that left him doubting his abilities as well as considering a return to Germany.
‘It’s hard for me to imagine Arsenal without Wenger because to me Wenger is Arsenal and Arsenal is Wenger,’ Hleb said as quoted by the Daily Mail..
‘When Wenger was signing me he just wanted me to adapt as quickly as possible and to have fun with the game, to do whatever it takes for the team, for results. I felt his support.
‘Once I got injured, spent two months off the field, and it was hard to regain the flow, so I started having doubts about possibly returning to Germany.
‘He just told me a couple of words which ended up having such a strong impact on me, I felt like I’d grown wings on my back. I was overwhelmed with emotions, eagerness, desire to live up to expectations.
It is no surprise that Hleb has nothing but good words about Wenger, he is one among many former Arsenal players that have revealed the impact that the French maestro had on their careers.
