Arsenal legend admits he ‘should never have left’ the club | OneFootball

Martin Keown is widely recognised as an Arsenal legend, but his time with the Gunners was not as smooth as his trophy haul might suggest.

After graduating from the club’s youth setup and breaking into the first team under then-manager Don Howe, the no-nonsense centre back departed for pastures new after receiving a lowball contract offer – £50 less than he had requested, a figure the club refused to budge from.

The paltry contract upset his relationship with new head coach George Graham before Keown had made an appearance under him. He moved to Aston Villa for £125,000 but soon regretted it, an experience he reflects on in his newly released autobiography, On the Edge.

He said: “I took myself away from Arsenal when I should never have left.”

“I climbed the mountain, got in the team, and then you see you’ve got a £50-a-week pay rise, but well, okay, I’m jumping off the mountain because I will tell you when I’m leaving.

“That’s where I’d gone too far in the fight and I got too emotional because I didn’t want to leave at all. But then once I’ve done it, I’ve kind of made my bed and I had to sort of live with it.”

Keown would not be kept away from the club, though, returning seven seasons later for £2 million to make a further 422 appearances in Arsenal red. The club’s hardline contract negotiations had proved costly.

For Keown, returning to Arsenal was among the biggest challenges of his career, as heightened expectations from supporters heaped pressure on his performances. Being cup-tied to Everton did not help his case.

He continued: “It wasn’t an easy transition, leaving Arsenal as a young kid and coming back, somewhat more experienced playing for England. So I had to sort of interject back in again into that group and then find my place within the club.

“[Arsenal] saw me as the best person to come back. And then, of course, I had to try and get into the back four. And that wasn’t easy either because I was cup-tied.

“I was playing a left back, right back, centre-half, midfield, and then you were like a utility player. Jack of all trades, not master of any. And then I think the fans are like, well, where’s he going to play?”

The return would ultimately prove to be a success as Keown won three Premier League titles and three FA Cups, all of which he won under the leadership of Arsene Wenger.

With his playing career now 20 years in the past, Keown remains a keen follower of the Gunners’ exploits, and like much of the Arsenal faithful, he is particularly fond of Bukayo Saka, a fellow academy graduate.

“Saka is a shining light for these youngsters and he’s a real role model. He probably doesn’t realize that.

“He’s not playing as a role model, but the journey he’s been on, how humble he is, is kind of making it easier for the next lads to come through and we’re seeing that now again.”