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Senderos says he can take pressure of famous shirt
Tony Adams was a legend but it’s just a number, says defender
PATRICK Vieira made the number four shirt his own – until Cesc Fabregas emerged as a worthy successor.
Thierry Henry has made the number 14 a favourite in the club shop, when it used to be reserved for substitutes, while William Gallas would rather wear Dennis Bergkamp’s 10 than Ashley Cole’s three.
But there is one shirt in the Arsenal dressing room that comes with more Gunners heritage than most – Tony Adams’s famous number six.
Swiss defender Phillipe Senderos became the first player to wear the revered jersey since Adams, arguably Arsenal’s greatest ever captain, last Tuesday.
Fighting his way back from the shoulder injury that cut short his World Cup adventure in the summer and left him waiting for first appearance at the Gunners’ new Emirates Stadium, Senderos insisted on Saturday he could handle the pressure.
The 21-year-old said: “I know how much of a legend Tony was at the club. I was happy to take the number. I’m very proud of that but at the same time the only thing that really counts is how you do on the park, not the number on your back. I just feel with the new stadium and it’s like a new team with the boss giving out all the low numbers again.”
Ironically, Senderos’s place in the first team is partly under threat by the emergence of Johan Djourou as a reliable rock in the Arsenal central defence – the man who filled in for him for Switzerland when he was injured playing for his country.
Senderos said he welcomed the competition, which will be spiced up by the arrival of William Gallas, who is known to prefer playing at centre back rather than as a left sided defender.
Speaking to the matchday programme ahead of Arsenal’s game against Everton, he added: “The boss has the problem, not the players. He has to choose who plays and if that’s a problem for him, that’s a good sign. It’s up to us to do well and make it hard for him.
“I have been going to the games and I have to say that it’s very hard for the injured players to be in the crowd. I do really enjoy going to the Emirates because it is a great stadium. I can’t wait to play there.” |
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