The former Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby has finally decided to hang his boots up after realising that he will never again play competitive football. He came to Arsenal as an extremely promising 20 year-old with the expectation of being the new Vieira, and for a change he did actually live up to the hype. But after just five months at the club he suffered a horrendous tackle from the Sunderland defender Dan Smith, which effectively was the catalyst that ended his chances to go on and play at the highest level. Although he did manage to play a couple of nearly full seasons for the Gunners, the constant injuries meant that he only played 32 games in his last five years with us.
Wenger could not justify a new contract for Diaby in the end, and he was taken in by his old club Marseille but despite their best efforts at further rehabilitation, he only managed 5 starts in the first two seasons before he needed yet another operation, and he hasn’t been able to play for the last two seasons either.
Now, at the age of 32, and with just 139 League games played in his 15-year career, he has finally given up the ghost. He said: “I am bringing an end to my professional career. It is the right time.
“For a number of years it has been difficult for me to return, with a lot of physical problems.
“It is a difficult decision but I have thought a lot about my decision and I am at ease with it. After Marseille, I gave myself a year to come back but it was harder than I thought, and I have decided to stop.”
You have to admire his resilence and his heart to have kept trying for so long, and it is very sad that such a talented player was never really given the chance to showcase his prodigious talents.
Well good luck Abou, and we hope you have success in whatever you decide to do with the rest of your life….
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I loved him but dan smith killed him
I was there at Sunderland when he was “Assulted”by that no-mark idiot.How the ref did not red card him for that tackle I will never know.
He tried to get back to full fitness but it was just one setback after another which is a shame for the player and for the Club.It looked like he JUST COULD be the successor to Viera we all dreamed of signing but in the end it just was not to be.
And where is Dan Smith now?And what sort of career has he had?Thats it.He crocked Diaby and finished him with that single tackle.He must be so proud of himself and the stellar career he had.
PS-Does anyone know where he is?Does anyone care?
Apparently he’s selling cctv systems in Australia and still says the tackle was not malicious.
I agree with you without this horrendous injury he would have replaced Vieira,despite his injuries he showed glimpses of brilliance,I feel bad for him it,s not like he gave up,he tried nearly everything possible many a player would have given up much earlier,because of a….I don,t know how to describe the guilty party,not only arsenal fc,the french national team but the football world was deprived of a great talent but also a good person,what a sad day indeet:(
Dan Smith should have been terminated.
That complete d. K Smith who thought he was a hard man. Ended a very talented players carrier hope he is proud of himself. Hope Daiby goes on to better things.
I really rated Diaby so highly, but his injuries could not let him realise his potential and talent.
But at least he made a decent living even if he would have loved it more to have earned it while playing football on a regular basis.
Oh, but wasn’t he on Play Pay contract where he is payed only if he play?
But all the best to our Diaby.
Rosicky, Diaby and Wilshere i had high high hopes for but injuries could not give them a break.
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I’d like to include Eduardo to that list
Dudu… I was heartbroken when he was legbroken. Such a prolific player who never got the chances to give us the joy he could have.
Such a talented player.
Such a shame because Diaby had potential. He owes Wenger a huge debt of gratitude for basically sorting out his retirement at Arsenal’s expense.
Can’t help saying but there is another Dan Smith here who keeps killing us with his negativity.
Diaby would have been an excellent player, such a shame injury blighted his career! On to wednesday night let’s hope we can bag 3 more points before we beat spurs ?
It’s shocking how little he played due to injury. Such a waste & such a shame. We saw (on the odd occasion!) what he could do… if only things had been different!
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Everybody says like the media we never replaced Beira this was it right here him and rosicky with no injuries would of ruled England they had everything add to the that jack and Eduardo and cazorla and we have been robbed wenger tried he really did injuries let him down at the wrong times
A real shame, Abou was such a talent, a real find for Wenger, gutted for him.
On a human level of course we should all fel sorry for Diaby. As Gooners though, we should all feel FAR MORE SORRY FOR OUR CLUB and blame the manager who through stupid pig headedness and a complete inability to see what many Gooners knew years before, that Diaby was a glass man and as such, useless to the club. A club, please remember, that WE all pay our hard earned money into , while ALL players take their huge wages out in exchange for playing for us. That we can accept, BUT when those players , for whatever reason, do NOT manage to play for us, then they are effectively robbing US personally, the fans and lifeblood of Arsenal FC. That the then manager should have aided this “robbery,” even though it was done through “ONLY” sheer pigheadedness, was unacceptable. Just one of MANY, MANY REASONS why perceptive fans like me and others wanted both the player and manager out , long before either ACTUALLY went.
Further to my above comments, I know some will consider me heartless and maybe I am in this matter. BUT I ASK YOU ALL, where should our PRIME loyalty lie? With a well paid player who unluckily had his career shortened and spoiled(and like others , I hold Dan Smith responsible) OR with thre club we have spent our lives supporting, above ALL other players, whoever they were, who wore our shirt, even HENRY, BERGKAMP ETC? If you support ANY player above the club you have your priorities wrong. And please remember that WE FANS are the core of our club; its life, it’s soul and its heartbeat!
Its true that smith injury diaby ankle leg, but we must also see that most diaby injury is not what in the place where smith did.
It just unlucky for diaby for having glass legs
Not really true.
The surgery after the Smith injury changed the mechanics in his leg, so while not directly the result of the Smith injury, his “glass’ legs were the result of the rehabilitation following that injury.
It’s like my back. I had lower back issues and then a lower back surgery, and now as the result of altered mechanics I have constant issues with my mid and upper back, which I never had before the lumbar surgery.
Neither poor nor old, but certainly unlucky in terms of injuries.
It is nice to read support for an ex player by most on here, of course, there is the moan about him and if you support him over the club then you have your priorities wrong… Even though everyone’s priority is down to themself, not anyone else.
I like to remember that the whole is made up from the sum of its parts, only a fool would dismiss the individual side when we ask for individuals to give their all, I support AFC along with players in Arsenal. Even the ones I don’t rate, they wear the badge and I want them to make me eat my own wards.
Yes midkemma, if you support him over the club you DO indeed have your priorities wrong. Are you suggesting differently, as your comment implies ? That would be extremely foolish.
That is your opinion Jon.
Your opinion has been proved to be as useful as a sponge hammer.
What was you telling me about Bellerin? He needs to be sold ASAP no matter what… Yet I supported an Arsenal player and said Emery needs to be given time and look how Bellerin was picking up under Emery.
I support the players and the team.
I am saying you are wrong for me. I am not so short sighted. I supported Diaby while he wore the badge, I backed him and wanted him to do well, i was also frustrated at his injuries… I didn’t turn my back on him for some stupid reason. I am not a heartless monster, just an arrogant soul.
You have your opinion Jon, it is just your opinion, it isn’t some kinda magical rule of the universe.
Get your head out your own ARSEnal.
If you are seriously saying as you seem to strongly be, that we should support ANY player above the club then you are firstly a laughing stock and secondly NOT a Gooner at all. iF YOU WILL WRITE AN ARTICLE WITH YOUR NAME ON IT SAYING WHAT YOU HAVE SAID HERE, YOU WILL SWIFTLY FIND OUT WHAT A JOKE YOU ARE. My point was – as you have a cowardly habit of misrepresenting what I say – is this and PRECISELY THIS, even though you cannot and do not accept it; that NO TRUE GOONER EVER SUPPORTS AMY PLAYER MORE THAN THE CLUB. Go on, write it(that you disgree), I dare you and see what comments you get from true Gooners. you coward! Your obvious jealousy of my intellect and ability to write is truly pathetic to see. That is WHY you constantly criticise whatever I ever write.
Jon, not sure I want to engage in this but can’t stop myself the comments just aimed at MidKemma isn’t that exactly what you do every time to anyone that disagrees with you, in that you instantly become pedantic and offensive, calling out English language irregularities to support your point, also using capitals which although you will say emphasises, actually means absolutely nothing in correct language terms. Maybe time to look in the mirror (and I don’t mean the newspaper).
I do NOT call out language regularities. In fact I have many times said that grammar and punctuation it matter to me not at all, provided the meaning is clear. That is the truth, whatever you incorrectly claim. It was midkemma who did this and who said I should use capitals for my name. Read it again if you doubt me. I use capitals as you rightly say for emphasis. If other choose not to do likewise I do not object. Try tolerance my bitter friend. Are you agreeing with me that supporting ANY one player above the club is the sign of a true fan. Midkemma disagrees AND THINKS WE SHOULD SUPPORT THR PLAYER FIRST AND THE CLUB SECOND . Read his posts again from the firts one down. WAS I NOT RIGHT TO CALL HIM OUT FOR THAT SILLY REMARK!
I really object to being called bitter, I am not , I am just trying to have an opinion which you obviously dislike, it is painfully apparent that you are incapable of accepting any view other that your own, I consider that to be frankly pathetic, I could also accept the request for tolerance from most on here, but from you is frankly ridiculous, your abuse and total intolerance of others is abhorent. You should not post on here until you learn to accept others and their opinions.
It certainly was a horrendous tackle by Smith, the sad thing about it was the disgraceful attempts by many of the Sunderland players in the last fifteen minutes of that game to deliberately injure an Arsenal player after we put the nail in their coffin and relegated them. Anyway good riddance to them, hope their enjoying third tier football.
OT:we played 5 games in the last 15 days,united have up to 10 first tr players injured,I don,t see any criticising their trainings methods or the medical! Staft even ole admiring making a mistake with rasford,when our players get injured everyone,everything are blamed,by the way rennes are up to 9th after drawing with Marseille,also the french federation gave rennes 8 days of rest before facing arsenal by postponing games so I wouldn,t be over confident over the result like some fans like to think!!
That is really sad, a player of his ilk only managing 139 games throughout his entire career. He is without doubt one of the single most talented players that I’ve ever seen. When people are talking about the importance of CM and all the tools that you need in your Arsenal, they should look no further than Diaby. Pogba spoke of his admiration for his ability, and I didn’t get a sense that it came from a place of sorrow, he does/did actually see Diaby as an immense talent.