His first kick in an Arsenal shirt brought a new chapter in Arsenal’s history. His last kick in an Arsenal shirt closed the Vieira era with a trophy. Vieira in my opinion is the greatest player to wear the famous Arsenal shirt. I know this is a bold statement and we have had some incredible players at our club, but Paddy raised the bar, increased our expectations and most importantly delivered on a regular basis. He was the focal point of Wenger’s strategy of monopolising English football with superior technique and swift attacking football that has become an Arsenal hallmark. We were not only a match for a great United team but soon surpassed them both in style and silverware. We stood up to and defeated them on a regular basis, culminating on that remarkable night when we went to Old Trafford, outplayed Man Utd and left as champions with the trophy.

The Vieira / Keane confrontations were up there with all the top sporting rivalries Ali / Frazer, Senna / Prost, McEnroe / Borg, Palmer / Nicklaus. Here were two men that epitomised English football. Hard, committed, stood up to counted, true leaders and most importantly knew what it meant to us fans. How many times had we seen Vieira single handed win games? How many times did we see him fists clenched rallying his troops for that extra 10%, which is the difference between a good side and a great side. How many times did he stick up for his team mates in times of trouble? The list is exhaustive.

Players who played alongside him became better. Defenders had the extra security of knowing that Paddy was the first line of defence. Our strikers knew that another sortie was imminent once play was broken up by Vieira deep in our own half. Box to box there was no-one in world football that could challenge his status. We were very fortunate to watch a truly great player for the best part of a decade. He played for the club with a passion that usually only befits a local boy. He played against Spurs like a fan. He gave his all in every game, he played many games when not fully fit and still made a difference, as only great players can do.

If Tony Adams was Mr Arsenal then arise Sir Patrick of Highbury. Patrick was disliked by fellow fans but to us it just increased the high ilk we held him in. Words like hero, colossus and immense are branded around loosely but are fitting accolades to our departed skipper. When news broke that he had signed for Juve, we were in disbelief. Although we knew the inevitable was going to happen it was a still a major shock. But then seeing him paraded in his new black and white uniform and to know that we will never see him with a cannon on his chest was hard to believe and a really sad day for Arsenal.

His new suitors are now reaping the benefits as their position at the summit of Serie A will confirm. Tuesday night will be a special night for everybody connected with the club. I think before and after the game Vieira should be treated with the respect that all heroes that return back home deserve. But after five minutes when he clatters into Cesc to win a ball he had no right to win, Vieira should be forgotten as one of us… until the final whistle !!