A former Arsenal star previously reflected on his one regret from his decade with the Gunners
Tomas Rosicky with Arsenal teammates
A former Arsenal star made an admission about his time with the Gunners(Image: AMA/Corbis via Getty Images)
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Tomas Rosicky was left with the stinging regret of not winning the Premier League title during his decade at Arsenal. The midfielder became a club icon but failed to lift the famous trophy with the Gunners.
Rosicky arrived with a winning reputation, having helped Borussia Dortmund clinch the Bundesliga title and also triumphed with Sparta Prague earlier in his career. In 2006, Arsene Wenger snapped up the Czech Republic international, who will likely keep a close eye on the country’s Nations League clash with England on Tuesday, as he looked to build on the Arsenal side that had narrowly lost to Barcelona in the Champions League final.
The 45-year-old eventually helped guide the Gunners to silverware. The club’s 2014 FA Cup triumph ended a nine-year drought, with Arsenal retaining the trophy the following year.
However, despite his success in English football, Rosicky was unable to steer Wenger’s side to a league title. Upon announcing his retirement, the midfielder previously admitted that falling short in the Premier League remained a major regret, as he reflected on the club’s FA Cup glory.
“Yeah, that’s what I wanted - to win a trophy with Arsenal,” Rosicky told Arsenal’s club website in 2017. “There’s a regret that we didn’t win the Premier League, but after such a long time, it was a great moment.
“For the fans as well, the connection between the players and the fans that day was absolutely amazing. I’m repeating myself but I’ve enjoyed every minute playing for Arsenal because it’s an amazing club.
“I always loved to play for Arsene Wenger and for his vision of how football should be played. It was absolutely great.”
During Rosicky’s 10-year stint in the Premier League, Arsenal finished third on four occasions before being runners-up to Leicester City in his final year. The Gunners icon, who now works as Sparta Prague’s sporting director, may not have been able to end the club’s wait for a league title but was clear about his affection for Arsenal when hanging up his boots.
Tomas Rosicky with the FA Cup trophy
Tomas Rosicky twice won the FA Cup with Arsenal(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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“For one last time, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Arsenal Football Club,” Rosicky said. “For me, it’s a fantastic club and it was always an honour for me to play for Arsenal.
“I always had a special bond with the fans. Every time I played, they knew that I was playing for the shirt.
“I always played for the shirt because it was an honour for me to represent such a great club like Arsenal. One thing is for sure, I’m a Gunner forever.”
The former Czech Republic international made 246 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 28 goals and providing 23 assists. A decade after leaving the Gunners, Rosicky’s former teammate Mikel Arteta led the club to a long-awaited league title.
On the international stage, England enter their upcoming clash with the Czech Republic looking to take the positives from their 3-2 defeat to world champions Spain. Their opponents recently began the Nations League campaign with a 2-1 loss to Croatia.
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