If we are going to talk about Arsenal Legends, then we cannot really continue going through a list of players without mentioning one of the biggest legends going and that is David Seaman.
Born 19th of September 1963 from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Seaman started his youth career at the club he supported, Leeds United. However, he was bitterly disappointed when then Manager Eddie Gray (who had been his favourite player) decided he didn’t want him at the club.
In August 1982, just before his 19th birthday, David signed for division 4 side Peterborough United for £4,000 – this is where he started to make a name for himself.
Having made 91 appearances for Peterborough in just 2 years, in October 1984 he signed for 2nd Division Birmingham City for £100,000 and managed to help the club win promotion. However, they were relegated the following season, but David Seaman wasn’t going to follow them back down.
In August 1986 QPR signed the Englishman for £225,000 where he earned his first England Cap under Bobby Robson. During his time at QPR, his coach was another man who would go on to become an Arsenal Legend (Bob Wilson). The pairing would have no idea that this player/coach relationship and friendship was going to last for more than a decade.
David Seaman would go to make 141 appearances for the club. However, in 1989 a club from North London had just won the domestic league and were on the look out for a new goalkeeper, step forward Arsenal. To say Arsenal struggled to sign him would have been an understatement. The deal involved a then fan favourite John Lukic being going the opposite way to QPR, but John Lukic had other ideas and refused to go as part of the deal, and eventually, it fell through.
The transfer window reopened and Arsenal stepped up their pursuit of David Seaman, and then manager, George Graham, signed him for a then British Record for a goalkeeper £1.3 million.
David Seaman’s time at Arsenal had begun a career that would stretch to 13 years at the club, and catapult him to first-choice for club and country. It is worth noting that in his first season at Arsenal, David Seaman played in all 38 matches and conceded only 18 goals, as Arsenal retained the League title. By this time, I was 11-years-old and already had Arsenal in my blood. I had been brought up as an Arsenal fan and I would go on to continue being an Arsenal fan to this very day.
