Ray Parlour played with some of the greatest players in Arsenal’s illustrious history, with the England midfielder winning the Premier League title on three occasions during his 12 years at the club.
Known affectionally as ‘The Romford Pele’, London-born Parlour was part of the transition at Arsenal that saw Arsene Wenger revolutionise the club when he arrived as manager in 1996.
At first, Parlour admits he was among those who looked at Wenger’s modern approach to man management and coaching with a critical eye, but it didn’t take long for the Frenchman to stamp his authority at the club and for the trophies to begin to roll in.
Parlour played a key role in the iconic ‘Invincibles’ 2003-04 season, when Wenger’s Arsenal went through the entire campaign unbeaten, and he also scored a famous goal in the FA Cup final against Chelsea in the 2002 FA Cup final.
In an exclusive interview with Planet Football, courtesy of NetBet, Parlour looks back on the best players he played with, as he builds a Dream XI of former team-mates.
David Seaman
Arsenal appearance: 564
“Jens Lehmann was fantastic when he came in and played such a massive part in the ‘Invincibles’ season when we went through the whole campaign unbeaten, I have to go for Dave Seaman as the best keeper I played with.
“He was just so consistent, such a presence and a fantastic keeper.”
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every goalkeeper to play for Arsenal in the Premier League?
Lee Dixon
Arsenal appearances: 616
“This is a battle between Lee Dixon and Lauren for the right-back position. As with Lehmann, Lauren was a massive part of the ‘Invincibles’ team and he was hard as nails, a great team-mate.
“But I edge towards Lee Dixon here. That is based on his longevity at the top and the fact that he rarely had a bad game.”
Tony Adams
Arsenal appearances: 672
“He has to be in the team as captain. What a leader he was. A symbol of Arsenal for so long and a great player.”
Steve Bould
Arsenal appearances: 373
“This one might be a bit of a surprise. I played with some great centre-halves, with Kolo Toure and Martin Keown in the mix here, but I’m putting Bould in alongside Adams for my dream team.
“Steve was massively underrated, a brilliant player. A really good lad as well, great for the team and great on set-pieces as well.”
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TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every player to appear for Arsenal in the Invincibles season?
Ashley Cole
Arsenal appearances: 228
“Ashley was a class act, I have to go for him in the left back position. He was probably the best in the world for a lot of his career in that role.
“Nigel Winterburn was also a great player in this position and a fine team-mate, but I’d have to go for Ashley.”
Robert Pires
Arsenal appearances: 287
“A massive player for Arsenal in the Wenger era. He was a nightmare to play against because he could do so much with the ball.”
READ: An ode to Robert Pires, the final hint of class that made Arsenal Invincible
Patrick Vieira
Arsenal appearances: 405
“I have to go for Patrick. He came in shortly after Arsene Wenger arrived and you could see straight away what a talent he was. He was massive for the team for a long time and one of the great midfielders.”
David Rocastle
Arsenal appearances: 275
“Rocky was a fantastic player. He very sadly passed away at such a young age, but he was a joy to play with and such a massive help to me as I was coming through the ranks at Arsenal.
“David was brilliant with the young players at Arsenal and I’d just put him ahead of Gilberto Silva for this team as Rocky was such a massive part of my development at Arsenal.”
Marc Overmars
Arsenal appearances: 142
“He was a nightmare for defenders when he was at his best. I’ve heard players like Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher saying they didn’t enjoy playing against Overmars and I can see why.
“He was also brilliant at taking chances and scored some important goals.”
Thierry Henry
Arsenal appearances: 370
“I could go very attacking with this team and play with just three midfielders and three strikers. If I did that, I’d have to leave David Rocastle out, so let’s go with 4-4-2 and that means leaving Ian Wright on the bench. Sorry Wrighty!
“Henry has to be in there. What a genius.
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every club Thierry Henry scored against for Arsenal?
Dennis Bergkamp
Arsenal appearances: 423
“Dennis was a massive player for Arsenal. When he came in, everyone raised their standards. He took it to the next level. Dennis scored some amazing goals, was a massive presence at the club and had it all as a player.”
