Where Are ‘The Invincibles’ of Arsenal Now?

It has been 12 years since Arsenal managed to pull off an undefeated season and win the Premier League title, becoming the first team to be able to do so in the PL era, and the second team to do so overall in the top tier of English football.

The first team to achieve this feat was Preston North End who went through the entire season undefeated in 1889-90. The 2003-04 season was also the last time Arsene Wenger won a Premier League title, and he has been subject to constant criticism due to this as also their shaky form this season in particular.

A majority of the players from the Invincibles side are still involved with football, few others became TV pundits, politicians and businessmen.

Jens Lehmann

After a five-year stint with the Gunners, the goalkeeper left for VFB Stuttgart in 2008 and retired after two seasons there. In 2011, he came back from retirement to aid Wenger’s injury-marred squad and earn his coaching badges in the process, playing only one game —  a 3-1 away win against Blackpool.

Currently, he works as a TV pundit in Germany.

Ashley Cole

The left-back joined Arsenal as a youth player and quickly moved up the ranks, making his first-team debut at 18. Cole’s love affair with his boyhood club ended in the summer transfer window of 2006 due to a wage dispute between the player and club. He moved to Chelsea shortly thereafter, where he won another Premier League title, four FA Cups and a Champions League title.

After a failed two-year stint at Roma, Cole is now plying his trade in Major League Soccer, playing for LA Galaxy.

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Sol Campbell

After playing five seasons for the Gunners, Campbell moved to Portsmouth where he won the FA Cup in 2008. He returned to Arsenal for a brief period in 2010, and played the following season for Newcastle United before retiring from football.

Following his retirement, Campbell started working as an advisor to the Conservative Party, but couldn’t manage to be shortlisted for the London Mayor elections.

Kolo Toure

The Ivorian defender formed a formidable partnership with Campbell soon after he arrived at Highbury. Both of them together were the backbone of the defence for ‘the Invincibles’.

In 2009, he moved to Manchester City and four seasons later to Liverpool, where he is currently struggling to compete for a place in the starting XI under Jurgen Klopp.

Lauren

The right-back move to Arsenal in 2000 from Mallorca and played for six seasons before moving to Portsmouth in 2006. He played there alongside his ‘Invincibles’ teammate Soi Campbell and won the FA Cup in 2008. He moved to Cordoba in 2009 and retired after a season.

Lauren has now become a TV pundit and occasionally appears on Sky Sports.

Robert Pires

The French international played for six seasons at Arsenal and had an integral role in the undefeated 2003-04 season. He left Arsenal in 2006, like some others from ‘the Invincibles’ squad and joined Villareal. He played there for four seasons before moving back to the Premier League with Aston Villa.

In 2015, he was the marquee signing for FC Goa in the first season of the Indian Super League. He announced his retirement from football in February 2016.

Patrick Viera

 

The Frenchman joined Arsenal in 1996 from AC Milan and captained ‘the Invincibles’, but left for Juventus only a season after winning his third Premier League title with Arsenal.

He moved to Inter Milan a season later as Juventus were relegated after being found guilty of fixing Serie A games in the previous two seasons. After failing to find a regular spot in the first-team, Viera moved to Manchester City in 2010 and won the FA Cup with them.

Currently, he is the head coach of New York City FC, where he manages players like Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard and David Villa.

Gilberto Silva

After six seasons, the Brazilian midfielder left Arsenal in 2008 for Panathinaikos. He played there for three seasons, moving to Gremio thereafter for a season, and eventually to Atletico Mineiro for what was to be his last season in professional football. He helped his boyhood club Atletico Mineiro win the Copa Libertadores in 2013.

After two years without a club, Silva announced his retirement in December 2015, and is now planning to pursue a career as an international player and club consultant.

Freddie Ljungberg

After spending most of his career at Arsenal, the Swede moved to West Ham United in 2007. He went off the radar shortly after that with short stints at MLS clubs Seattle Sounders and Chicago Fire, Scottish club Celtic, Japanese side Shimizu S-Pulse and Mumbai City of the Indian Super League.

His career in India was cut short due to a back injury. Currently, Ljungberg is coaching the U-15 side of Arsenal as he trains for his UEFA coaching badges.

Thierry Henry

Unarguably, one of the finest marksmen in front of the goal, Henry scored more than 20 Premier League goals every season between 2002 and 2006 for Arsenal. He is also the all-time high scorer for the Gunners.

The French international moved to Barcelona in 2007 and went on to win the treble with them in 2009. In 2010, he moved to MLS side New York Red Bulls and played there until his retirement from professional football in 2014. In 2012, Henry made an emotional return to Arsenal on loan and scored a goal in an FA Cup tie against Leeds United on his return.

Currently, Thierry Henry works as a TV pundit for SkySports.

Dennis Bergkamp

Signed in 1995 from Inter Milan, the Dutchman played for more than a decade at Arsenal and earned a statue outside the Emirates stadium, alongside Thierry Henry, for his contribution to the club’s success during that period. Bergkamp won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups with the Gunners.

After earning his coaching diploma from KNVB, Bergkamp was appointed the assistant coach of the Netherland B-team in 2008. Soon thereafter, he started working as a coach in Ajax’s youth academy.

Since 2011, Bergkamp has been the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax.

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