With just over a month to go until the Premier League season begins, Total Football’s Simon Wright will be looking back at the players, teams and goals that have lit up the 20 years of what is widely regarded as the world's greatest league.
The next player featured in the Premier League icon series is Arsenal skipper and double title winner, Tony Adams.
Name: Tony Adams
Club(s) he played for in the Premier League: Arsenal (1983-2002)
Club(s) he managed for in the Premier League: Portsmouth (2008-2009)
Honours: FA Premier League championship winner 1997-98 & 2001-02. He was England captain at Euro 96.
PL Appearances: 255
Goals: 12
Tony Adams (pictured) was one of the most feared, commanding and strongest defenders around. In the early days of the Premier League, he was often the highlight in an Arsenal team that struggled in George Graham’s limp final years at Highbury.
This all changed when Arsene Wenger took over in September 1996. His new philosophy of football brought the Gunners success and Adams was at the forefront of it, winning two more league championships to add to those he won in 1989 and 1991.
He retired from the game in 2002 at the top, captain of a glorious double winning side.
Tony Adams spent all 22 years of his playing career at Highbury. Before the Premier League evolved in 1992, he was already an England international and became captain of the North Londoners in 1988.
His leadership was evident to see, taking Arsenal to two Football League titles and breaking the regular dominance of Liverpool and Everton throughout the 1980s.
As Arsenal struggled domestically for consistency in the early 1990s, Adams was still lifting trophies on a regular basis for the club, winning the FA Cup and League Cup in 1993 and the Cup Winners Cup the following year.
Addicted
Away from the field, he had a bigger battle and that was against the bottle. Adams had severe struggles with alcohol addiction, which included playing a match during the 1993-94 campaign completely drunk, as admitted in his critically acclaimed autobiography ‘Addicted.’
England’s defeat in the Euro 96 semi-finals against Germany pushed him off the edge. Later that year, Tony Adams confessed in public that he was an alcoholic.
Whilst he was in rehabilitation, Wenger changed the training and diet methods at Highbury and supported Adams throughout his recovery. It led to the best years of his career.
Part of the famous Arsenal back four with Lee Dixon, Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn, Adams returned to the side as captain and put in some memorable performances.
One of his rare and sweetest goals came when he hit a cracker in the 88th minute of a North London derby to beat Tottenham in November 1996.
Two years later, he had in my view, the best season of his career. In the championship clincher against Everton, he provided the Premier League with one of its most iconic moments.
Already 3-0 up and with the championship in the bag, David Platt robbed Don Hutchinson of possession and found Steve Bould. Adams made a run forward and was picked out by a brilliant ball from his centre back partner.
Staying onside, he chested the ball down brilliantly and smashed it past Thomas Myhre and into the back of the net to seal a 4-0 victory.
The celebration of realisation and achievement was just as iconic too. You couldn’t have scripted a better finish than that.
Ending on a high
With age came more injury problems and his playing time in the 2001-02 campaign was severely restricted. Yet he was still a powerful influence in the dressing room and, along with Patrick Vieira, captained Arsenal to another double success of Premier League and FA Cup triumph.
In the process Adams, nicknamed ‘Mr. Arsenal’, became the only player to captain three title winning teams in three different decades.
In August 2002 he announced his retirement from professional football at the top, as a champion.
To mark the 125th anniversary of Arsenal Football Club last December, Adams’s achievements were recognised with a statue alongside Herbert Chapman and Thierry Henry, placed outside the Emirates Stadium.
Management sadly hasn’t provided such success, and he only lasted 16 matches in charge of Portsmouth in 2008-2009 after Harry Redknapp went to Tottenham. Recently, he resigned from a job in Azerbaijan football, citing family reasons.
Although as a manager it hasn’t worked out, Tony Adams is a Premier League icon and to Arsenal fans, an absolute legend.
NEXT TIME ON PREMIER LEAGUE ICONS: Gracing Yorkshire, the Midlands and Merseyside in his playing time, Gary McAllister.
By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
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