Ray Parlor revealed Arsene Wenger turned him down after brazenly asking to replace Partick Vieira as Arsenal captain.
Parlor received the armband in the absence of the Frenchman for Arsenal’s famous 5-1 Champions League win against Inter Milan at San Siro in 2003.
Ray Parlor was the captain of Arsenal on the famous San Siro night in 2003
Arsenal were leading 2-1 in the final five minutes of the match when Thierry Henry, Edu and Robert Pires scored to give the Gunners a stunning 5-1 group stage win.
Parlor is believed to have delivered an extremely motivating pre-match team speech that Pires still talks about a lot today, describing it as “sensational”.
And the exploits of our own Romford Pele that night led him to make a very brazen request.
He asked to take the position of full-time captain in place of the legendary French midfielder Vieira.
“After the game, I said [to Wenger] “Boss, I have to talk,” everything has gone silent, “Parlor told talkSPORT.
“I have to be the captain in the future, don’t worry about Patrick Vieira.
– Former Arsenal boss Wenger didn’t always understand Parlor’s sense of humor. Getty – Vieira captained Arsenal under Wenger but was absent for the Inter clash POOR
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Mbappé could resume talks with Real next year after the revelation of the contract – “Wenger said: ‘Ray, Patrick is our captain.’ “I said okay boss, no problem, I thought I’d ask the question anyway the kids started laughing.” Parlor’s sense of humor didn’t seem to resonate with the legendary Arsenal manager in the same way as his teammates, and Vieira quickly claimed the captain role upon his return. Parlor was not fooled by the complexity of his pre-match monologue, but admitted he told his teammates: “We can beat these Italians, we believe in ourselves.” Arsenal took the lead in the Champions League group ahead of Lokomotiv Moscow in second place, but in the end the Gunners were stopped in the quarter-finals, losing to Chelsea 3–2 overall. But that season wasn’t just doom and gloom for Parlor and company, as they won the Premier League title at a gallop and earned the nickname Invincibles after finishing the league season undefeated. Getty Images – Getty – Ray Parlor played 25 games in the 2003/04 season for Arsenal’s Invincibles. At talkSPORT we are powered by fans, so join us for the best World Cup fan experience this winter, at the talkSPORT Fan Zone. In a huge indoor arena under the arches of Waterloo in London, we’ll bring you live screenings of every World Cup match. There will be questions and answers with talkSPORT talent, you will be a part of our live broadcasts and there will also be plenty of food and drink on offer. Come and enjoy the ultimate World Cup fan experience in London and enjoy a pint with us, with England and Wales group stage match tickets on sale now HERE! — POOR
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