Denilson full of praise for Wenger as he reveals how the Frenchman took care of him

Denilson was one of Arsenal’s most prominent imports from Brazil, but he never left a huge impression in the Premier League.

The Brazilian joined the Gunners from Sao Paulo as a teenager, and Arsene Wenger helped him develop his game.

He had the highest amount of touches among Premier League players in the 2008/2009 season, yet his homesickness forced him to have a short-lived career in the Premier League.

He recently spoke to The Athletic about his time in the Premier League with Arsenal and he hailed the influence and care that Wenger showed towards him.

He claimed that managers normally do not interfere with the personal lives of their players, but Wenger broke the norm and took special care or him.

He insisted that Wenger tried all he could to help him become a success in the Premier League, but loneliness ultimately forced him to return to Brazil where he turned out for Sao Paulo again, among other teams.

He said: “My grandchildren are going to know exactly who Arsene Wenger was, I say that because he really helped me on a personal level.

“We worked a lot on tactics and my technique, which really improved, especially my passing. But he also made a difference away from the pitch.

“He knew I was alone in London. I went to England with my agent at the time, but I was on my own a lot.

“Wenger would call me into his office for a chat every now and then, to ask me how I was doing.

“He really cared about me as a person, which made a real impression on me.

“Normally, a coach doesn’t care how a player is. It’s, ‘Sod it, I want him to do his job.’ End of conversation. But he showed a great deal of concern and kindness to me.

“So for me, he’s not just an excellent coach. He’s the best I ever worked with, not because he is a big name or because he spent so many years at Arsenal, but because of the way he treated me.”
 

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