“I regret Joining Arsenal” – Claims £8m Star
In these perilous times, when everything seems to
be crumbling, not only is there discontent
amongst those who are in the house but those
who have longed moved on now appear to regret
ever coming.
Singed in 2001 as a 20 year old who was tipped
as part of the prodigies of the England Golden
generation, Francis Jeffers was every much as
hot a property as every youngster in the country.
He was to become one of the brightest stars of
his generation after making a flying start at
Everton but a mega money move to Highbury
seemed to be the wrong move for the youngster
managing just eight goals in 2 seasons. Now 33,
Jeffers believes he should have stayed put at
Goodison, as he was even not physically ready for
the challenge, let alone the psychological aspect.
“I hadn’t quite got over my ankle when I went
there” Jeffers said.
“The season before I went to Arsenal I had an
ankle and a shoulder operation and played 14
games so I wasn’t at it anyway.”
“Staying at Everton would have been the best
place for me. I would have had a lot more
football. I went to Arsenal and it didn’t quite
happen”
Jeffers would probably count himself as unlucky
at the time as the Arsenal team was really
studded with worldlies in attack in the persons of
Bergkamp, Overmars, Henry, Pires and Wiltord.
Considering it was the period of Wenger’s foreign
revolution, it could also be that Jeffers credentials
as being a young and untiried Englishman
counted against him, though he holds no grudges
for Wenger.
“Arsene Wenger gave me a fair crack of the whip.
It would be hard to say he didn’t. He was good
for me. I haven’t got a bad word to say about
him. He tells you how it is and he is one of the
only managers I played for who tells you how it
is.”
This will come as some consolation to the
bewildered Arsenal boss who has been spared no
stick by other ex-Gunners, faulting his tactical
and motivational approach to games. Wenger is
no stranger to confrontation and has been
embroiled in a heated war of words with Paul
Merson over what appear to be unsettled scores
stretching back nearly two decades.
Of urgent concern would be to carry out a quick
glance through the Arsenal squad to see if there
are any ones who would probably make the same
statement as Jeffers when they leave. It’ll be
useless to try to name names, though, as we
should rather hope they are all enjoying their stay
at the moment, knowing full well that rough
patches are part of the professional game.